Looking back at PVL’s ‘very successful’ 2023

A fruitful 2023 for the Premier Volleyball League. –MARLO CUETO/ART

MANILA, Philippines — The new Philippine volleyball record gate attendance during the title-clinching win of Creamline over sister team Choco Mucho in Game 2 of the second All-Filipino Conference finals put the cherry on top of Premier Volleyball League (PVL)’s successful 2023.

The first-ever finals series duel between the Cool Smashers and Flying Titans ended PVL’s year with a bang as 24,459 fans — the new attendance record in a volleyball game — witnessed the former sweep the season-ending tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“What can I say? Tuwang  tuwa ako we never expected it to be like this pero sa grasya ng Diyos naging successful. Very successful talaga itong 2023 season maski na yung All-Filipino,” PVL president Ricky Palou told Inquirer.

Palou said he wished that the late June Bernardino and Moying Martelino, also the founders of Shakey’s V-League which became the PVL, were able to see the growth of their league from being a collegiate preseason tournament then an amateur club tournament to being only professional volleyball league in the country.

“Malungkot lang ako kasi siyempre si Jun [Bernardino] at Moying they were not able to see the success of our plans. They will be really happy to see [the PVL] go all the way,” he said.

Part of history

Alyssa Valdez and the Creamline Cool Smashers celebrate their latest title win in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.–PVL PHOTO

Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses, who steered the Cool Smashers to two All-Filipino titles and a runner-up finish in the Invitational Conference after losing to Japan’s Kurashiki Ablaze in the final, was honored to be part of history, attributing the record-breaking crowd to all the players who have been thriving in the pros.

“Sobrang saya namin at nakasama kami sa history. Siyempre yung volleyball sa Philippines lumalaki na. Talagang pinagpapaguran din ng players talaga para maganda yung mapanood nila sa every game na mapapanood nila,” Meneses said. “Talagang sana madagdagan pa para mas maging masaya lahat. Sana mapatuloy pa talaga yung Philippine volleyball.”

Creamline played without star Alyssa Valdez due to her right knee injury in the first All-Filipino Conference and was pushed to the limits by rival Petro Gazz in the best-of-three finals but still remained as the queen of the first tournament of the 2023 season. 

Valdez returned in the Invitational Conference but the Cool Smashers fell to Japan Division 3 team Kurashiki Ablaze, who banked on Asaka Tamaru’s championship-clinching ace to prevent Creamline from getting its second straight Invitational crown.

The league may have scrapped the Reinforced Conference this year due to the recommendation of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation but the second staging of the second All-Filipino Conference turned out to be the biggest PVL tournament with 12 teams after Nxled, the sister team of Akari, and Galleries Tower entered the pro scene joining the new teams from the Invitationals, Farm Fresh and Gerflor.

The Cool Smashers played without Jia De Guzman Ced Domingo, who are playing for the Denso Airybees in Japan and Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand, respectively. But the absence of their core players didn’t stop Creamline from sweeping all its 15 matches to remain on top of the league with seven PVL crowns.

Financial issues, disbandment

F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in the PVL. –Marlo Cueto/INQUIRER.net

Amid the successful year, the league had to settle the financial issues of Gerflor’s management with the help of a good samaritan, who will take over the team next season.  F2 Logistics, which entered the volleyball scene in 2016 and joined the PVL two years ago, also announced its disbandment to focus on grassroots.

Before F2’s disbandment, Foton, the sister team of Chery Tiggo, only played one conference in the Invitationals before pulling out. The Army Lady Troopers haven’t returned since their leave of absence in the second conference.

The PVL is in talks with four companies including Gerflor’s new owner and will accept one more team to replace F2 Logistics to maintain the 12-team field next season.

After a successful 2023 season, Palou hopes the competition continues to grow next year as they won’t stop reaching greater heights by holding their first-ever PVL Rookie Draft in June or July.

“We’re just wishing the teams will stay competitive with each other para mas maganda pa yung liga. We hope the draft will be able to do that,” he said.

Several players, whose contracts have expired at the end of the year including the former Cargo Movers, will find their new home for the 2024 PVL season. Dawn Macandili-Catindig already made her move, taking her act to Cignal before Christmas.

The league will also decide if the first conference will be an All-Filipino or Reinforced Conference.