The road to the new Premier Volleyball League season begins far from its usual Metro Manila stage.
Instead of opening inside the country’s biggest arenas, the league is taking professional volleyball on the road once again as the PVL On Tour officially gets underway on Wednesday in Ilagan City, Isabela, kicking off a seven-leg preseason caravan that aims to bring the sport closer to fans across the Philippines.
Four of the league’s top clubs will headline the opening doubleheader, marking the start of a month-long tour that will also visit Batangas on July 11, Vigan City in Ilocos Sur on July 25, Polomolok, South Cotabato on August 1, the City of Santiago on August 8, Lanao del Norte on August 15, before wrapping up on August 22 at a venue that will be announced later.
Beyond preparing teams for the upcoming conference, the league views the preseason showcase as an opportunity to strengthen its connection with volleyball supporters outside the capital.
“The PVL On Tour is our way, together with the teams, of bringing the game closer to our fans during the preseason. It allows supporters from different parts of the country to experience PVL volleyball firsthand, while giving our teams valuable opportunities to build chemistry and prepare for the season ahead,” said PVL Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo.
Every match will also carry financial rewards, with the winning team receiving P100,000 while the losing squad will still earn P50,000, ensuring that every contest has something at stake despite being part of the preseason.
The league has also introduced competition guidelines designed to maximize player development.
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Each team will be required to field all 14 players on its roster before the end of the second set, with every player seeing action in at least three rallies. Once the second set is completed, coaches will regain full control of their rotations under the modified substitution rules.
Meanwhile, the PVL reiterated that players currently committed to official Philippine national team duties will not be eligible to participate in the tour. Athletes may only suit up if they are not part of an official national team delegation and have no scheduled international commitments.
Perhaps the biggest attraction this year is the introduction of the Premier Ball, a rule first unveiled during the PVL All-Star festivities.
Once per set, the serving team’s captain can activate a specially colored ball that turns the next rally into a two-point opportunity instead of the usual single point, adding another layer of strategy for both teams.
To preserve the integrity of close finishes, however, the Premier Ball cannot be used to clinch a set. In the first four sets, teams may only activate it before either side reaches 22 points, while in a deciding fifth set, it may only be used before the score reaches the league’s designated cutoff.
As the tour begins another journey around the country, the PVL is hoping to achieve two goals at once — helping teams prepare for the new season while giving thousands of fans outside Metro Manila a front-row seat to the country’s premier professional volleyball league.reaches 12 points.
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