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| (Image Source: Premier Volleyball League) |
Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Tats Suzara officially recognized the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) as the Philippines' primary and only professional volleyball league. During the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference press conference held last November 4, 2024 at Novotel Cubao in Quezon City, Suzara expressed full support for the country’s premier women’s volleyball league, calling it the top organization in the nation. This acknowledgment underscores the PVL's progression from its beginnings as the Shakey's V-League in 2004 to becoming a professional league in 2021.
The league’s upcoming All-Filipino Conference will be its longest tournament to date, stretching over six months and aligning with the international FIVB calendar. Sponsored by Arena Plus, Fabriano Appliances, Milcu, Watsons, iColor and Argan Beauty, this landmark conference provides participating teams with a significant preparation period for future international tournaments including the 2024 AVC Champions League in Seoul, South Korea. More so, the champions of the All-Filipino Conference will be representing the Philippines in the AVC Champions League. To reduce financial stress on the competing club, the PVL will cover all travel and accommodation expenses, allowing the team to focus solely on the competition. Additionally, each team is permitted to recruit two foreign players, thus enhancing the roster's competitiveness as they face top Asian clubs. “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,” said Suzara, urging teams to leverage this opportunity to shine on the international stage.
To further strengthen officiating standards, the PNVF has appointed international referee and Referees Commission chairman Yul Benosa as the chief officiating coordinator for the PVL. Additionally, international neutral referees will oversee the semifinals and finals, ensuring fair play and adherence to global standards. "This way, it also raises the level of our referees in the PVL and puts international referees in all the matches,” said Suzara. More importantly, come the semifinals and Finals, Suzara said that the game will be handled by “international neutral referees". Suzara explained, “The PVNF will support PVL in the semifinals and Finals to bring international neutral referees nearby, so Hong Kong, Thailand for two or three weeks so that there is really a fair decision by the officiating referees." Ahead of the AFC, the league also organized a technical workshop for referees, coaches, and players, aiming 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,” said PVL President Ricky Palou Palou. With the arrival of international referees, the PVL will look to ensure that calls and challenges will be backed by their experience and expertise.
On the other hand, PVL's official broadcast partner Cignal TV Inc. is set to bring the entire season to fans, ensuring every thrilling moment is captured and broadcasted. PVL games will be available live and on-demand on the Pilipinas Live app, as well as on free-to-air channels One Sports and One Sports+ both in SD and HD on Cignal, the league’s official website PVL.ph and PVL's official YouTube channel. “We are more committed than ever to bringing these games to the constantly growing volleyball audience in the Philippines and for Pinoys around the globe. Whether that’s free-to-air, in high definition on Pay TV, or on-the-go anywhere in the world through our OTT platform Pilipinas Live, we want all the PVL matches this season to be available to our fans anytime, anywhere,” explained Cignal TV Inc. First Vice President for Channels & Content Management Sienna G. Olaso. The 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference promises to be an unforgettable tournament filled with rivalries, thrilling plays, and standout performances when it officially commences on November 9, 2024.
