High-octane spiking returns when the 2025 Spikers Turf Open Conference gets off the ground this Friday with six men’s squads battling for supremacy.

Defending champion Cignal HD Spikers will be targeting a historic three-peat in the season-opening tournament backed by ArenaPlus and Mikasa.

The powerhouse team will be facing stiff competition from their archrivals Criss Cross King Crunchers, as well as strong contenders like the Savouge Spin Doctors, PGJC-Navy Sea Lions and VNS-Laticrete Griffins.

Making their league debut are the Alpha Insurance Protectors, who are eager to make a statement in their inaugural season.

“We are thrilled to start another season of Spikers’ Turf, especially with the level of talent we have this year,” Spikers’ Turf president Alyssa Valdez said.

“All teams have retooled their rosters and prepared extensively, making this a highly competitive tournament. This will be a huge boost for men’s volleyball as we get ready for the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, which will be hosted here in Manila.”

Matches will be played on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with live coverage on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app, which will feature video-on-demand content.

‘We are thrilled to start another season of Spikers’ Turf, especially with the level of talent we have this year.’

Fans can also stream games through the official Spikers’ Turf website.

The tournament will run until 4 April, with games hosted at multiple venues, Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan and PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

Each game day will feature a triple-header.

The opening day at the Ynares Sports Arena will have PGJC-Navy Sea Lions vs Savouge Spin Doctors at 1 p.m., Alpha Insurance Protectors vs Cignal HD Spikers at 3:30 p.m., and VNS-Laticrete Griffins vs Criss Cross King Crunchers at 6 p.m.

The competition will follow a double round-robin preliminary format, where teams will battle for positioning based on the FIVB Classification System.

The top four teams will advance to the semifinal round, which will feature a single round-robin format.

From there, the top two teams will compete in a best-of-three championship series, while the third and fourth-ranked squads will clash in a bronze medal series.

Should the gold medal series end in two games, the bronze medal series will also conclude accordingly, with ties determined by the FIVB Classification System.