The PVL opens its 2026 All-Filipino Conference on Jan. 31 with a revamped format and a streamlined 10-team field aimed at keeping more teams in title contention deeper into the tournament.
The PVL opens its 2026 All-Filipino Conference on Jan. 31 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, unveiling a revamped competition format for a streamlined 10-team field.
Under the new system, a team that completes a sweep of the single round-robin eliminations will earn an outright berth to the semifinals.
If no team manages a clean sweep, the top four squads after the eliminations will advance to the Qualifying Round knockout matches, with the winners moving on to the next stage.
Teams that lose in the Qualifying Round will drop to the newly introduced Play-In Stepladder phase, where squads ranked fifth to 10th after the eliminations are given another opportunity to remain in contention.
Rankings throughout the eliminations and subsequent rounds will be determined using the FIVB Classification System, which factors in match wins, set ratio, and points ratio.
The semifinals will be played in a single round-robin format, also using the FIVB system to rank the teams. The top two teams from the semifinals will advance to the best-of-three finals, scheduled to be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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The season opens with a doubleheader on Jan. 31, as Galeries Tower Highrisers face Cignal Super Spikers at 4 p.m., followed by Akari Chargers against Choco Mucho Flying Titans at 6:30 p.m.
Matches resume on Feb. 3 at the same venue, with Farm Fresh Foxies meeting Nxled Chameleons at 4 p.m., before ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles take on Capital1 Solar Spikers at 6:30 p.m.
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Action continues on Feb. 5, highlighted by the debut of the 10-time PVL champions, the Creamline Cool Smashers, against PLDT High Speed Hitters at 6:30 p.m., after an earlier clash between Choco Mucho and Cignal.
The league enters the conference with a reduced lineup after defending champion Petro Gazz Angels took a leave of absence, while the Chery Tiggo Crossovers have folded operations, leaving the PVL with a tighter 10-team cast for the All-Filipino tilt.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.