Tough Shakey’s V-League Season 8 opens Sunday

MANILA—Ateneo faces a new cast of opponents when it kicks off its back-to-back title bid in Season 8 of the Shakey’s V-League Open conference this Sunday.

Shifting from an all-school field, the country’s premier women’s volleyball league will showcase three military teams—Army, Air Force and Navy—and a commercial squad in Maynilad for the first time.

“Most of the schools begged off this conference [due to academic reasons],” Moying Martelino, chair of tournament organizer Sports Vision, said in a press conference yesterday at the Manila Yacht Club.

“At first we were disheartened, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We now have seven of the best teams in the country and all the marquee players.”

Powerhouse San Sebastian, bannered by Joy Benito, and Perpetual Help are the only other school squads in the seven-team cast

“We’re coming into a new stage of the league and a new level [of competition],” said Shakey’s chief operating officer Vic Gregorio.

Navy has been tagged as an early favorite after enlisting former Most Valuable Players Suzanne Roces and Nene Bautista to spearhead its campaign.

Aiza Maizo, another former MVP, leads Air Force, while former Far Eastern University star Rachel Daquis banners the Army squad.

League officials said the school teams are allowed to beef up their rosters with two foreign players to boost their chances.

Tournament director Tony Boy Liao said the league will also feature a new format, which starts with a single round-robin.

“Hopefully we’ll develop new talents, not only for the league, but also for the national team,” said commissioner Chito Loyzaga of the Philippine Sports Commission.