HIGH school standouts representing 18 teams will see action in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League set to begin this Wednesday at the Adamson University gym and San Andres Gym in Manila.

The field will be led by defending champion California Academy Precision, which will be up against UAAP Season 86 girls’ volleyball champion Adamson University and NCAA season 99 girls’ volleyball titlist Perpetual Junior Lady Altas.

National U-Nazareth School, University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, De La Salle- Santiago Zobel, Arellano University, EAC, and LPU are also in the hunt for the throne.

Completing the field are Bacolod Tay Tung High School, Naga College Foundation, De La Salle Lipa, King’s Montessori, Bethel Academy- Academy, Chang Kai Shek College, and Holy Rosary College.

Present during the press conference launching the event yesterday were ACES President and COO Dr. Ian Laurel, SPAVI President and CEO Vic Gregorio, Shakey’s COO Jorge Concepcion, SPAVI Group Marketing Director Oliver Sicam and Smart official Bajjie Del Rosario.

“We are so grateful that we have the support of the elite, the best high school teams in the country, not just in Manila, the cities and provinces around Manila. And like what we’ve promised, year in and year out we will give you a very well organized, challenging and the best high school tournament that you will have, “ Laurel said.

California Academy, which bid farewell to their former star, Casiey Dongallo, who now plays for the UE in the collegiate level, anticipates tough challenge ahead with all teams expected to display their brilliance and skills.

VIETNAM bolstered its title-retention bid in the AVC Challenge Cup for Women by scoring a 25-17, 25-15, 25-27, 25-13 victory over Indonesia yesterday to clinch a semis berth at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Vietnamese crew, ranked 38th in the World, flexed their muscles to complete a 4-0 sweep of their Group B action.

Kazakhstan also sealed a semifinals ticket after a dominant straight sets triumph over Hong Kong 25-17, 25-18, 25-4 to finish second in the Pool B with a 3-1 slate.

The Philippines, already assured of a semis berth, was battling Chinese-Taipei late last night.

Thi Nhu Quynh Vi exploded with 26 points, 23 from attacks, two service aces and a kill block, to lift Vietnam while Tu Linh Tran fired 11 markers in the one-hour and 43-minute game.

Also providing offense for the Vietnamese were Thi Tra My Nguyen and Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen who combined for 20 points.

Vietnam will face the second-ranked team from Pool A in the crossover semifinals on Tuesday.

Skipper Sana Anarkulova had 22 points for the Kazakhs, while Zhanna Syroyeshkina chipped in 16 markers.

Ranked 30th in the world, Kazakhstan will battle the first-ranked crew from Pool A in the semifinals.

“This is [a] very serious game. It’s the last chance [for us] to go to [the] semifinals. We understood this, and we needed to win. Just win,” said Anarkulova.

The winner of the AVC Challenge Cup will gain a slot in the FIVB Volleyball World Challenger Cup in July in Manila.

DEFYING the odds, Alas Pilipinas marched into the semifinals of the AVC Challenge Cup for Women armed with an unbeaten slate last night after another rousing win at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Philippines thwarted the young bloods of Chinese Taipei 25-13, 25-21, 25-18 to top Pool A with a 4-0 slate, boosting its bid in the knockout semis tomorrow, Tuesday.

Hard-hitting open spiker Eya Laure led the scoring load for Alas with 15 points while Vanie Gandler and middle blocker Thea Gaga had 12 and nine markers, respectively.

“Sinabi ko nga kanina na nandito na kami so hindi na kami titigil na gumawa ng history para sa Philippine volleyball,” Laure said.

The Jorge Souza de Brito-mentored Philippine squad has moved up to 57th in the FIVB World rankings.

Hsu Fang Min and Hsu Heng Yun paced Chinese Taipei with nine and eight points, respectively, as they ended their campaign winless in four matches.

It will be the country’s first semis appearance in the AVC tournament in a long while.

Waiting for the national squad in the semis is Kazakhstan, which finished with a 3-1 card in Pool B.