SPORTS
Advocates Philippines
PVL All-Filipino Conference Tips Off With New Format And Wide-Open Title Race
Photo credit: PVL
The Premier Volleyball League opens its flagship tournament, the All-Filipino Conference, on January 31 at the FilOil Playtime Centre in San Juan, and this season-ender is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing editions in recent years.
What has fans buzzing is not just the tighter 10-team field, but a revamped competition format designed to reward consistency, keep the pressure high, and give more teams a legitimate shot at the title deeper into the tournament.
Under the new system, a team that sweeps the single round-robin eliminations earns an automatic spot in the semifinals, a valuable reward that comes with fewer knockout games and a smoother path toward the championship. On paper, however, the teams appear closely matched, making a clean sweep a daunting, if not unlikely, task.
If no team dominates the eliminations, the top four squads will collide in Qualifying Round knockout matches. Winners move forward, but the journey does not end for the losers. They drop into the newly introduced Play-In Stepladder phase, where teams ranked fifth to 10th get another chance to stay alive and fight their way back into contention.
This Play-In format adds a fresh layer of drama and unpredictability, ensuring that every match carries weight and that late surges can still reshape a team’s fate. Rankings throughout the tournament will be determined using the FIVB Team Classification System, which factors in wins, set ratio, and points ratio to promote fairness and consistency.
The semifinals will be played in a single round-robin format, again using the FIVB system to determine standings. The top two teams will then face off in a best-of-three Finals series at the Araneta Coliseum, with Sports Vision targeting an April 28 conclusion to the conference.
Action begins on January 31 with two attention-grabbing matchups. A retooled Galeries Tower squad faces Cignal at 4:00 PM, followed by Akari testing a reinforced Choco Mucho lineup at 6:30 PM.
The excitement continues on February 3, also in San Juan, as Farm Fresh takes on a revamped Nxled side at 4:00 PM, while last conference’s surprise team ZUS Coffee goes up against Capital1 at 6:30 PM.
Fans will have to wait until February 5 for crowd favorite Creamline to make its conference debut, clashing with PLDT in a marquee 6:30 PM matchup at the FilOil Centre. That night also features a 4:00 PM showdown between Choco Mucho and Cignal.
With defending champion Petro Gazz taking a leave of absence and Chery Tiggo folding, the league now moves forward with a more compact lineup. Rather than weakening the competition, the shift has spread talent more evenly across teams, making the race even more competitive.
The arrival of former Petro Gazz standouts has instantly boosted Nxled, turning the Chameleons into a serious contender, with coach Ettore Guidetti confident of a much-improved campaign. Still, the standard remains Creamline, even as challengers line up. Choco Mucho regains its edge with the return of Sisi Rondina, while PLDT, Farm Fresh, and ZUS Coffee remain intact and hungry. Capital1 also looks to build on its breakthrough run to the Reinforced Conference finals.
With a new format that encourages do-or-die intensity, a talent-rich but condensed field, and former stars now spread across multiple squads, the upcoming All-Filipino Conference promises parity, pressure-packed moments, and nonstop, edge-of-the-seat volleyball.
In this season, predictability may be the only thing truly missing.
What has fans buzzing is not just the tighter 10-team field, but a revamped competition format designed to reward consistency, keep the pressure high, and give more teams a legitimate shot at the title deeper into the tournament.
Under the new system, a team that sweeps the single round-robin eliminations earns an automatic spot in the semifinals, a valuable reward that comes with fewer knockout games and a smoother path toward the championship. On paper, however, the teams appear closely matched, making a clean sweep a daunting, if not unlikely, task.
If no team dominates the eliminations, the top four squads will collide in Qualifying Round knockout matches. Winners move forward, but the journey does not end for the losers. They drop into the newly introduced Play-In Stepladder phase, where teams ranked fifth to 10th get another chance to stay alive and fight their way back into contention.
This Play-In format adds a fresh layer of drama and unpredictability, ensuring that every match carries weight and that late surges can still reshape a team’s fate. Rankings throughout the tournament will be determined using the FIVB Team Classification System, which factors in wins, set ratio, and points ratio to promote fairness and consistency.
The semifinals will be played in a single round-robin format, again using the FIVB system to determine standings. The top two teams will then face off in a best-of-three Finals series at the Araneta Coliseum, with Sports Vision targeting an April 28 conclusion to the conference.
Action begins on January 31 with two attention-grabbing matchups. A retooled Galeries Tower squad faces Cignal at 4:00 PM, followed by Akari testing a reinforced Choco Mucho lineup at 6:30 PM.
The excitement continues on February 3, also in San Juan, as Farm Fresh takes on a revamped Nxled side at 4:00 PM, while last conference’s surprise team ZUS Coffee goes up against Capital1 at 6:30 PM.
Fans will have to wait until February 5 for crowd favorite Creamline to make its conference debut, clashing with PLDT in a marquee 6:30 PM matchup at the FilOil Centre. That night also features a 4:00 PM showdown between Choco Mucho and Cignal.
With defending champion Petro Gazz taking a leave of absence and Chery Tiggo folding, the league now moves forward with a more compact lineup. Rather than weakening the competition, the shift has spread talent more evenly across teams, making the race even more competitive.
The arrival of former Petro Gazz standouts has instantly boosted Nxled, turning the Chameleons into a serious contender, with coach Ettore Guidetti confident of a much-improved campaign. Still, the standard remains Creamline, even as challengers line up. Choco Mucho regains its edge with the return of Sisi Rondina, while PLDT, Farm Fresh, and ZUS Coffee remain intact and hungry. Capital1 also looks to build on its breakthrough run to the Reinforced Conference finals.
With a new format that encourages do-or-die intensity, a talent-rich but condensed field, and former stars now spread across multiple squads, the upcoming All-Filipino Conference promises parity, pressure-packed moments, and nonstop, edge-of-the-seat volleyball.
In this season, predictability may be the only thing truly missing.
Jan 23, 2026
We are dedicated storytellers with a passion for bringing your brand to life. Our services range from news and media features to brand promotion and collaborations.
Interested? Visit our
Contact Us page for more information. To learn more about what we offer, check out our latest article on services and opportunities.
