‘This tour is about connecting with our regional fans and helping the national team gear up for bigger battles.’
THE Petro Gazz Angeles and other PVL squads get a chance to display their spiking prowess in various provinces when the league rolls out its out-of-town matches on Sunday in Vigan City.
Photograph courtesy of PVL
The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is bringing elite volleyball action to the provinces as it kicks off the PVL on Tour this Sunday in Vigan, Ilocos Sur — a pre-season spectacle poised to match the intensity and drama of the regular season.
PVL president Ricky Palou highlighted that the two-month tour not only aims to decentralize the sport but also plays a key role in supporting the national team’s buildup for international duties, including the Southeast Asian Games set in Thailand this December.
“This tour is about connecting with our regional fans and helping the national team gear up for bigger battles,” Palou said.
“It’s also a stage for clubs to evaluate their new recruits and recalibrate strategies before the main season.”
With the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan as the lone Metro Manila venue, the rest of the games will unfold in Batangas City, Ilagan City (Isabela) and Passi City (Iloilo), underscoring the Sports Vision-organized league’s commitment to expanding its nationwide reach.
Despite the absence of key Alas Pilipinas stalwarts, including Capital1’s top rookie Bella Belen, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler and Dawn Catindig, ZUS Coffee’s Thea Gagate, PLDT’s Dell Palomata, and others, the competition remains wide open and fiercely unpredictable. Their absence levels the playing field, placing the spotlight on emerging stars and system-driven play.
Twelve teams, split into two pools, are gearing up for a grueling yet thrilling series.
Pool A is bannered by All-Filipino Conference champion Petro Gazz alongside Choco Mucho, PLDT, Galeries Tower, Farm Fresh and Nxled. Pool B features powerhouse Creamline, Chery Tiggo, Cignal, Akari, ZUS Coffee and Capital1.
The tournament format adds to the unpredictability. After a single round-robin elimination from 22 June to 29 July, the top two teams from each pool secure quarterfinal slots. Teams ranked third to sixth engage in a knockout play-in, with the survivors advancing to the next do-or-die round.
The semifinals and medal matches will be single-elimination affairs — all culminating in a high-stakes clash for the PVL on Tour crown and berths to the PVL Invitational set from 19 to 29 August where they will battle it out with two guest squads.
Action blasts off in Vigan on Sunday with a pair of marquee matchups: Akari battles Cignal at 4 p.m., followed by Creamline against Capital1 at 6:30 p.m. The squads swap rivals on Monday with Cignal taking on Solar Spikers and the Cool Smashers facing the Chargers in a promising early litmus test for all.
The tour then moves to Batangas City on 28 June, featuring Choco Mucho against Galeries Tower and a primetime showdown between Nxled and defending champion Petro Gazz. The following day, the Angels face the Highrisers while the Flying Titans test the Chameleons’ mettle.
Even without national team aces, the PVL on Tour promises no shortage of drama.
The dynamics shift every game, with new leaders expected to emerge, rookies gaining valuable minutes, and teams pushing to prove their mettle in unfamiliar territory — all pointing to a tour that’s anything but predictable.
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