Spikers’ Turf tournament director Mozzy Ravena views the 2024 season as a success, with numerous emerging stars making their mark in both the Open and Invitational Conferences.

While Bryan Bagunas of Cignal and Marck Espejo of Criss Cross grabbed the spotlight in the season-opening tournament, it was Jude Garcia who shone the brightest in the Open Conference, earning his first-ever Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Players like Francis Saura and Rash Nursiddik of D’Navigators, Peter Quiel of PGJC-Navy, and Cian Silang of Cignal also stepped up, taking on bigger roles in their respective teams.

Though Bagunas and Espejo were absent in the Invitationals, the league remained thrilling, with Garcia continuing his dominant performance on his way to securing a second consecutive MVP award.

A new wave of rising talents emerged, including Louie Ramirez (Cignal), Gian Glorioso (Criss Cross), Sherwin Caritativo (Savouge), Giles Torres (Savouge), CJ Segui (VNS) and Dryx Saavedra (FEU-DN Steel).

Ramirez stood out amid Cignal’s stacked roster, leading the team to its eighth consecutive championship and earning the prestigious Finals MVP award.

“Even if it’s a short one, I think it’s very successful because we saw the potential of a lot of players like final MVP Ramirez. It’s just so much fun because the men’s game is a little different from the women’s,” Ravena said.

Glorioso, on the other hand, stepped up in the absence of veteran Kim Malabunga, who suffered a freak injury just minutes before their debut but later returned in the tournament. The former Ateneo Blue Eagle made an immediate impact, eventually earning his first Best Middle Blocker award.

Caritativo exploded onto the scene, leading the Spin Doctors to a bronze finish and claiming the 2nd Best Outside Spiker award. His teammate Torres, meanwhile, proved to be a dominant force at the net, bouncing back from a challenging stint with the HD Spikers to become one of the league’s Best Middle Blockers.

Segui was one of the bright spots for the young but feisty Griffins, while Saavedra continued his rise after their title run in the V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge.

“He has his own audience and, as you can see, it is getting bigger, so I’m very happy,” Ravena said.