The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) has officially recognized the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) as the country’s primary and only professional league.
PVL president Ricky Palou received the PNVF certificate of recognition from PNVF and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Tats Suzara during a press conference at the Novotel Manila on Monday.
Suzara expressed full support to the league, which started as the Shakey’s V-League in 2004 and became a pro league in 2021.
In fact, the PVL All-Filipino Conference champion will represent the country in the AVC Champions League. The PVL will cover all travel and accommodation expenses so the team can focus on the competition.
“The PVL is committed to fully supporting our representative club in the AVC Champions League. Thanks to the collaboration with (PVL president) Ricky Palou, all expenses, including travel and logistics for the AVC tournament, will be managed by PVL,” Suzara said.
The PVL All-Filipino Conference, which will kick off on Nov. 9 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, will stretch over six months to align with the international Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) calendar.
Playing on opening day are Akari against Galeries Tower at 4 p.m. and Choco Mucho against Petro Gazz Angels at 6:30 p.m.
After the single round-robin preliminaries, teams will be ranked from 1 to 12 according to the FIVB classification system.
The qualifying round will pair teams based on their final rankings, leading to a dynamic playoff structure where only the best will advance.
“The alignment of our schedule with the international FIVB calendar is an exciting development for Philippine volleyball. This synchronization not only elevates the standard of our league but also brings more excitement to our fans,” PVL Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo said.
The PNVF has appointed international referee Yul Benosa as the chief officiating coordinator for the PVL. International neutral referees will oversee the semifinals and finals.
The league also organized a technical workshop for referees, coaches, and players to standardize knowledge and improve the game experience.
“This workshop is designed to empower all participants with a thorough understanding of the latest rules and techniques. We’re thrilled to have the support of the PNVF in bringing PVL to new heights,” Palou said. (PNA)