Adamson, aiming for a third crown after ruling the last conference, and San Sebastian lead the top picks in the premier women’s volleyball tournament at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.

“We still feel we’ll be able to give a good eighth season,” said Ricky Palou, president of league organizing Sports Vision.

“We’re having two teams from the Visayas. We also have guest players, and the basic reason we have them is to uplift the games of the college teams.”

University of Santo Tomas cited player injuries as the reason for its the second straight absence, while reigning UAAP champion La Salle begged off for the fifth time.

Sports Vision chair Moying Martelino said teams can either tap two reinforcements (one foreigner and one local) or three guest players enrolled in university.

Ateneo, which enlisted Thai import Pinuk Lithawat, and Far Eastern U kick off the action at 2 p.m., while Perpetual Help and National University collide at 4 p.m.

The league’s first-season MVPs will grace the 1 p.m. opening ceremony, which will feature the players interacting with the crowd during the parade of teams.

“These are innovations to improve rapport with the audience,” Martelino said in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue.

Cebu’s Southwestern U and Bacolod’s University of St. La Salle will mix it up with the eight Manila teams that also include darkhorses Lyceum and St. Benilde.

A summer camp for kids aged 9 to 14 is also ongoing this week at the Ateneo Blue Eagle gym where the league’s marquee players led by Rachelle Anne Daquis and Suzanne Roces serve as mentors.

“We’ve seen what’s happening with other sports (the growing popularity) and we believe there’s a big opportunity for volleyball to take that route,” said Shakey’s COO and EVP Vic Gregorio in the forum presented by Pagcor, Outlast Battery and Shakey’s.

Jasmine Payo, Inquirer.net