PVL Invitationals kick off June 27 with 11 local teams, 2 guests

MANILA, Philippines – The PVL returns for its midseason tilt, the 2023 Invitational Conference, on June 27, with a loaded 13-team field, including three new teams and two overseas guest squads.

Despite the league not yet revealing the identities of the foreign teams, their fans already have a lot to look forward to as the Foton Tornadoes are set for their volleyball league return and professional debut, while the Farm Fresh Foxies and Quezon City Gerflor Defenders add a lot of competitive fuel to the mix.

Farm Fresh will bring the core of two-time defending NCAA champion College of St. Benilde to the fold, including the Lady Blazers’ head coach Jerry Yee and former MVP Mycah Go. The upstart team has also tapped former Ateneo prospect Pia Ildefonso, daughter of basketball legend Danny Ildefonso.

“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 season,” said Foxies team manager Janica Lao.

Gerflor, meanwhile, will feature a mix of veterans, such as former Army setter Ivy Perez, and young players, like former UP standouts Alyssa Bertolano and Ethan Arce.

“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,” said Defenders team manager Jordan Tolentino.

Foton, on the other hand, has yet to reveal its comeback roster after a three-year absence, with its last appearance coming as part of the defunct Philippine Superliga (PSL).

“We are happy that the league and the member teams allowed us to join, starting with the Invitational Conference,” said team manager Aaron Velez, also the current head coach of Foton’s sister team Chery Tiggo Crossovers.

All 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 Group B will consist of six teams, including Petro Gazz, F2 Logistics, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Farm Fresh, and Foton.

The top two teams in each pool will advance to the round-robin semifinals along with the two foreign teams. Teams from the same pool will carry over their head-to-head record into the second round.

The top two teams will advance to the winner-take-all final, while the third- and fourth-ranked teams will compete for the bronze medal.

Those teams that do not advance to the next round will move to the classification phase. However, the sixth-placed squad in Pool B will automatically be ranked 13th.

“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,” said league president Ricky Palou.

“This will not only bring more excitement for our fans but also provide players with more opportunities to have a career in volleyball. The new teams are also committed to staying with us in the long term,” he added. – Rappler.com