THE 2017 season of the Premier Volleyball League is firing off on April 30 with a triple-header to open the Reinforced Conference, which will air live from the Fil-Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan City starting at 1:30 p.m. on S+A on free TV, S+A HD on cable TV, and via livestreaming on sports.abs-cbn.com.
All six teams will be seeing action on opening day with the Balipure Water Defenders going head-to-head with the Philippine Air Force Lady Jet Spikers at 2 p.m., followed by the clash between the Power Smashers and defending champion Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors at 4 p.m. and the showdown between Creamline Cool Smashers and Perlas Spikers at 6 p.m.
On the men’s side, the Philippine Air Force Jet Spikers and IEM Phoenix Volleyball Masters take on each other at 10 a.m., with the match available via livestreaming on sports.abs-cbn.com.
With a three-headed monster in Myla Pablo, Fille Cayetano, and Jeanette Panaga, coach Rommel Abella’s Pocari squad remains a favorite but will face tough competition from Roger Gorayeb’s Bali Pure led by NCAA MVP Grethcel Soltones and National University setter Jasmine Nabor, and newcomer Creamline, which reunites coach Tai Bundit with his former ward, Philippine volleyball phenom Alyssa Valdez.
Also vying for the crown are Jerry Yee’s Perlas Lady Spikers, which will rely heavily on the troika of Amy Ahomiro, Dzi Gervacio, and Amanda Villanueva; Nestor Pamilar’s Power Smashers headlined by Arellano University standout Jovielyn Prado; and coach Jasper Jimenez’s Philippine Air Force Lady Jet Spikers, still led by veterans Wendy Semana and Joy Cases.
Meanwhile, completing the men’s field are the Café Lupe Sunrisers, Philippine Army Troopers, Sta. Elena Wrecking Balls, and Cignal HD Spikers.
The Reinforced Conference will feature foreign players such as Rupia Inck (Perlas), Michelle Strizak and Edina Selimovic (Pocari Sweat), Patcharee Saengmuan (Air Force), and Taj Chupungco and Laura Schaudt (Creamline), each bringing their own international brand of volleyball. The six teams vying in the Women’s division will go through a double round-robin elimination round, while there will only be a single round for the Men’s division. There will be premiere volleyball action from PVL all year long with the All-Filipino Open Cup, the Collegiate Cup, and an All-Star Sunday—featuring the best players throughout the season—in the horizon.
ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena said that beyond launching a new league, they hope to further strengthen the volleyball community through PVL. He also announced a new model for sports coverage in PVL as they introduce “multi-cam livestreaming.”
“We’re putting something forward that hasn’t been done before in the Philippines, much like what FIFA has done. We are giving the viewer the power to choose from three camera angles for our livestream,” he said.
Sports Vision chairman Moying Martelino, meanwhile, vowed that the inaugural season of the PVL is all but a beginning.
“I would just like to say, that with the partnership between ABS-CBN Integrated Sports and Sports Vision doing the PVL, this is only the start of something big.”
Don’t miss the maiden season of PVL on S+A, S+A HD and on”ª sports.abs-cbn.com’s livestream, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday starting April 30 at 1:30pm. For more information and stories, visit ABS-CBN’s sports hubsports.abs-cbn.com and follow @ABSCBNSports on Facebook and Twitter.