The road to the title is wide open as a total of 11 local teams and two foreign squads will slug it out for pride and glory when the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference kicks off on 27 June.
PVL president Ricky Palou said they are rolling out the red carpet for three new local squads — the Foton Tornadoes, the Farm Fresh Foxies and the Gerflor Defenders — in the brand-new season of the country’s lone professional volleyball league.
Palou said having 11 teams in the fold will not only jack up the level of competition, but will also provide excitement to the fans and create a lot of opportunities for members of the local volleyball community.
“With volleyball in the country growing by leaps and bounds over the past decade, we feel that it’s about time to increase the number of member teams in the PVL,” Palou said.
“This will not only bring more excitement for our fans, but will also provide players with more opportunities and careers in volleyball. The new teams are also committed to stay with us in the long term.”
Foton will be making a return to competitive volleyball after three years.
Tornadoes team manager Aaron Velez thanked the PVL for allowing them to field another team aside from Chery Tiggo that gives their company maximum exposure.
“We are happy that the league and the member teams allowed us to join starting with the Invitational Conference,” Velez said.
“With two teams, this will give our company added exposure and our players a chance to further hone their skills.”
Meanwhile, the Farm Fresh Foxies will feature the core of the College of Saint Benilde team and will have Jerry Yee as the head coach for their inaugural season.
“The PVL is a big platform to introduce our product, which is the first real fresh milk in the market,” Foxies team manager Janica Lao said.
“Though we are a new team, chemistry won’t be a problem for us since the Lady Blazers never really stopped training even after the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) season.”
Finally, the Gerflor Defenders will feature a mix of veterans and young players and will be coached by seasoned tactician Edgar Barroga.
“We are thrilled to finally be a part of the PVL. We have organized and participated in several leagues to qualify for the opportunity to compete in the PVL, which we believe is the most prestigious league in the country,” Defenders team manager Jordan Tolentino.
“Being a part of the PVL is already an honor and accomplishment for our volleyball club.”
The 11 local teams will be split into two groups. Group A will be composed of defending champion Creamline, Chery Tiggo, PLDT, Akari, and Gerflor while Petro Gazz, F2 Logistics, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Farm Fresh, and Foton will comprise Group B.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the round-robin semifinals along with the two foreign teams. Then, the top two teams will advance to the winner-take-all final battle while the third and fourth-ranked teams will collide for the bronze medal.
