CEBU will take center stage in Philippine volleyball as the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and Spikers’ Turf bring the opening of their 10th season to the newly-opened SM Seaside Cebu Arena on October 10.
Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. will stage a triple-header in the Queen City of the South, with two PVL matches highlighting the celebration.
Choco Mucho and Capital1 will open the day’s festivities at 1pm, while Creamline and Akari are scheduled to meet at 6pm.
A Spikers’ Turf match will complete the three-game program.
The decision to hold the season-opening event outside Metro Manila reflects Cebu’s growing importance to the country’s volleyball landscape and the sports’ expanding following in the region.
The SM Seaside Cebu Arena, which officially opened to the public last July after breaking ground in 2021, will serve as the venue for what organizers expect to be a major celebration of a decade of professional volleyball.
Cebu has long been a source of talent for both the women’s and men’s games. Among the PVL players with Cebuano roots are Choco Mucho stars Sisi Rondina of Compostela, Deanna Wong of Minglanilla and Isa Molde of Catmon.
Farm Fresh’s Lorene Toring and Pierre Abellana, Nxled’s Krich Macaslang and PLDT’s Shiela Kiseo are also among the players from Cebu who have made their way into the PVL.
The Visayas has likewise produced notable men’s volleyball players, including former Cignal standout Edward Ybañez and VNS player Jayvee Sumagaysay, who have competed in the Spikers’ Turf.
Sports Vision has also expanded its developmental programs in the region in an effort to provide more opportunities for aspiring players.
The V-League Visayas was launched last year, featuring six men’s and six women’s collegiate teams from Cebu affiliated with the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI).
The regional initiative expanded in July with the staging of the Panay-Negros tournament in Passi City, Iloilo, giving more young players in the Visayas a platform to compete and develop.
These efforts have strengthened the region’s role as a talent source for the country’s top volleyball leagues.
The 10th-season celebration in Cebu therefore goes beyond simply moving the opening ceremony outside the capital. It also highlights the sport’s growing reach and the increasing role of regional communities in Philippine volleyball.
With a decade of PVL and Spikers’ Turf competition to celebrate, Sports Vision is banking on Cebu’s strong volleyball following to provide an impressive setting for the start of another season. (Adrian Co)
