RVL National Finals and Invitationals kicks off from January 17 to 24 at Ynares Center Pasig

IT STARTED with a vision nine years ago by Rebisco chief Jonathan Ng of giving high school girls volleyball players a venue to show their worth.

From a handful of schools when it started, the Rebisco Volleyball League’s (RVL) scope has now ballooned to 500 teams from all over the country and culminates in the RVL National Finals and Invitationals from Jan. 17 to 24 at the Ynares Center Pasig.

“The RVL started because of Jonathan Ng’s love for volleyball and we’re now 500 schools,” said Rebisco’s Integrated Sports and Marketing Communications Head Kenneth Yu during Monday’s media briefer at the Privato Hotel in Pasig.

Also gracing the presser were stars from Criss Cross and Creamline including reigning Southeast Asian Games beach volley gold medalists Bernadeth Pons and Dij Rodriguez.

And those 500 squads battled it out in multiple regional tournaments that produced 10 of the best and brightest in Philippine girls volleyball including three-peat-seeking Bacolod Tay Tung and inaugural champion National University.

The other eight teams who emerged from the gruelling regionals would battle it out in the finale with the eventual winner claiming the top purse worth P100,000 and the runner-up P50,000 that would go to the school’s athletic programs.

The other eight finalists were University of San Jose-Recoletos Cebu, Linao National High School from Leyte, Immaculate Conception Academy from Dasmariñas, Cavite, Iligan City National High, La Salle-Lipa, Davao City National High, Holy Trinity College from General Santos, and California Academy from Northern Luzon.

RVL Chief Ysay Marasigan, who also plays for Spikers Turf champion Criss Cross, said the Top 21 players from that field of 500 will get an all-expense paid trip to Manila for a two-week training camp where they will have a chance to practice with the Premier Volleyball League’s Creamline and Choco Mucho.

“They will all get a chance to train with their idols at Creamline and Choco Mucho for those who will make it to the Top 21,” said Ms. Marasigan. — Joey Villar