Two new Luzon champs join familiar Rebisco Volleyball League National Finals participants Kings’ Montessori, Naga College Foundation in 2024 championship round

FRESH faces look to challenge familiar ones as the Rebisco Volleyball League welcomes two new Luzon regional champions alongside two traditional titlists that complete the RVL National Finals cast clashing at the Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong from November 22 to 25.

University of Batangas and Sta. Cruz Academy of Lubao Inc. are set to make their respective debuts in the national finals after emerging as the last teams standing in their regional finals of the biggest 18-and-under women’s volleyball tournament in the country that drew 480 schools from 10 regions this year.

The two newcomers representing Southern Luzon and Northern Luzon, respectively, join two-time defending Bicol regional champion Naga College Foundation and Kings’ Montessori School of the National Capital Region as the four Luzon regional champions of this nationwide grassroots development tournament that’s now on its sixth year.

Waiting for them in the national finals are Mindanao regional champions Sto. Niño National High School, Corpus Christi School, and Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, and Visayas representatives University of San Jose-Recoletos, Linao National High School, and RVL 2023 defending national champion Bacolod Tay Tung.

The Top 4 teams in the national finals will clinch spots in the invitational finals where they will tangle with foreign teams Northern California Volleyball Association (USA) and RVL 2019 national champion Nakornnont Volleyball Club of Thailand on November 27 to 30.

University of Batangas (UB) steadily worked its way up to prove it belongs in this year’s 10-team national finals cast, beating St. John’s Wort Montessori School. After finishing second runner-up in the 2022 South Luzon regionals and just falling short in the 2023 edition when it wound up as the runner-up, the Batangas City-based spikers finally got over the hump this year.

The importance of the RVL, though, is in providing many teams an avenue to play competitive volleyball.

“Sa Rebisco Volleyball League, anyone o any team na interested to play, you are most welcome,” Buenvenida said as he works hand in hand with RVL commissioner Ysay Marasigan.

University of Batangas (UB) then beat Josiah Christian Values High School and De la Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute to sweep the group phase, before dispatching University of Perpetual Help System Laguna in the semifinal. UB hurdled its final test in Sto. Niño de Praga Academy of La Paz Homes in regional finals title game, 25-17, 25-17.

Riza Drice showed the way for University of Batangas to be named South Luzon MVP as well as First Best Outside Hitter. She had plenty of help from Best Setter Myesha Zaraspe and Second Best Middle Blocker in Princess Ricaplaza.

De la Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute had the most individual awardees with three in Griffin Lian Bucayan (Best Opposite Attacker), Lorraine Lorejo (Second Best Outside Hitter), and First Best Middle Blocker Estella Dabu. Khasyk Tuazon of Sto. Niño de Praga Academy of La Paz Homes was adjudged Best Libero to round out the awardees.

In the North Luzon leg, Sta. Cruz Academy of Lubao Inc. made a statement as early as the prequalifiers when it stunned defending Pampanga prequalifying champion Holy Family Academy to earn the right to represent the province in the regional finals this time. There, Sta. Cruz took down St. Jean Baptiste Academy, University of the Cordilleras High School, and Riveridge School Inc. in the group stage. Then, the Lubao-based volleybelles beat First City Providential College in the Final Four, before overcoming Juan R. Liwag Memorial High School in the regional final, 25-15, 25-21.

Coline Bautista and Micaela Gould stood tallest for Sta. Cruz as they were named Best Libero and Best Setter, respectively, as Gould set up plays for Best Opposite Attacker Amber Nicole Ronquillo. Juan R. Liwag Memorial High School took consolation by having the MVP award winner in Divine Roshielle Garcia, who was also named First Best Outside Hitter. First City Providential College had two awardees in Vhanna Dominique Molacruz (Second Best Outside Hitter) and Best Middle Blocker Pauli Anne Vale. Angel Lou Ewis of the Univ. of the Cordilleras rounded out the awardees as the Second Best Middle Blocker.

Unlike University of Batangas and Sta. Cruz Academy of Lubao Inc. gatecrashing the national finals, Naga College Foundation (NCF) maintained status quo in the Bicol regional finals as it reached the national finals for the third consecutive time.

The NCF Lady Tigers took down San Lorenzo National High School, Sta. Elene Integrated School, and Mt. Carmel School of Infanta, the same team they beat in the gold-medal match, 25-10, 25-18, behind Lady Tigers star and eventual MVP and First Best Middle Blocker Jessa Mae Pauleen Santos.

Kings’ Montessori School, for its part, is making a return to the national finals stage and is eyeing a second RVL national title after ruling the 2018 edition. The Quezon City-based spikers bagged the gold medal in the NCR regional finals where National University Nazareth School (NUN) Team B, the 2017 national champion, settled for silver and San Felipe Neri Catholic School made a memorable RVL debut by rounding out the Top 3.

Led by eventual MVP and First Best Outside Hitter Paula Palma, Kings’ Montessori swept the regional finals group stage with wins over University of Santo Tomas Team B, Augustinian Abbey School, and Leandro Locsin Integrated School, on the way to a 25-20, 25-18 victory over NUN for the gold.