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Spikers' Turf

Most recent season or competition: 2024 Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference
Sport	Volleyball
Founded	2015
Founder	Sports Vision Management Group, Inc.
First season	2015
Director	Mozzy Ravena
President	Alyssa Valdez
Motto	Where Power Meets Passion
No. of teams	11
Country	Philippines
Venue(s)	Various
Most recent champion(s)	Cignal HD Spikers (2024 Invitational)
Most titles	Cignal (6 titles)
TV partner(s)	One Sports
Streaming partner(s)	Cignal Play Kumu Smart Giga Play Pilipinas Live
Official website	spikersturf.ph

The Spikers' Turf is the top-level men's semi-professional volleyball league in the Philippines organized by the Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. (Sports Vision), established in 2015.

History

The league had its beginnings in 2014, when the Shakey's V-League introduced a men's division during its 21st conference. The following year, Sports Vision decided to spin off the men's division as a separate league, giving birth to the Spikers' Turf.

In late-2016, Sports Vision announced that the league be merged back in the 2017 season with the Shakey's V-League (which was renamed as the Premier Volleyball League; PVL). The men's division in the PVL ended with the 2018 PVL Collegiate Conference as its final tournament. The Spikers' Turf was revived on October 6, 2018 and was reestablished as a separate legal entity from the PVL.

In 2020, Spikers' Turf began the process to turn to a professional league, after the PVL was given professional status by the national government's Games and Amusement Board in the same year. The league did not stage its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 16, 2021, Sports Vision president Ricky Palou bared that only three teams out of six - Cignal HD, PLDT and VNS - agreed to turn professional.

Teams

These are the teams currently competing at the 2024 Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference.

2024 Spikers' Turf Invitational Conference
Abbr.	Team	Affiliation	Head coach	Team captain
Local teams
CBT	Chichi DHTSI Braderhood Titans	Digital Hybrid Transport Systems / Chi Chi Drinks PH	Roberto Javier	Jonathan Sorio
CHD	Cignal HD Spikers	Cignal TV, Inc.	Dexter Clamor	John Paul Bugaoan
CKC	Criss Cross King Crunchers	Republic Biscuit Corporation	Tai Bundit	Ysay Marasigan
DNV	D' Navigators Iloilo	Iloilo City	Boyet Delmoro	John Michael Apolinario
FEU	DN Steel-FEU Ultras	DN Steel Group of Companies / Far Eastern University	Eddieson Orcullo	Jelord Talisayan
DLS	EcoOil-La Salle Green Oilers	Eco Oil Ltd. / De La Salle University	Jose Roque	Menard Guerrero
MMB	Martelli Meats Master Butchers	Maverick Sports Team	Michael Conde	Jerome Michael Cordez
PJN	PGJC-Navy Sea Lions	Philippine Navy	George Pascua	Greg Dolor
SVG	Savouge Spin Doctors	Savouge Aesthetics Philippines	Sydney Calderon	Hero Austria
VNS	VNS Griffins	VNS Management Group	Ralph Raymund Ocampo	Charles Jordan Segui
Foreign guest team
KON	KondohGumi Hyogo	Kondogumi Co. Ltd. / Hyogo Prefectural University Volleyball Association	Kota Kunichika	Kakiuchi Kohsuke

Season format

Unlike other foreign professional volleyball leagues that have a single regular season spanning from October to May, the Spikers' Turf seasons are divided into two to three "conferences" or tournaments, similar to its women's counterpart, Premier Volleyball League, and the Philippine Basketball Association with each tournament winner being counted as overall league champions.

Before merging with the PVL in 2017, the Spikers' Turf paraded three tournaments similar to the Shakey's V-League — the Reinforced Conference, Open Conference, and Collegiate Conference. Once the league reestablished itself in 2018, it discontinued the Collegiate Conference, with the collegiate teams joining the Open Conference in 2019.

After a single tournament in the returning 2022 season due to COVID-19 restrictions, the league now banners two tournaments in one season starting in 2023 — Open Conference and Invitational Conference.

Active tournaments

• Open Conference is a hybrid conference where corporate-backed, local-based, and collegiate squads can compete. (8 tournaments as of 2024 season)
• Invitational Conference is a conference where international club teams are invited to play in a tournament against the local teams. (2 tournaments as of 2024 season)

Defunct/Inactive tournaments

• Collegiate Conference (2015–2016) is a pre-season tournament for college and university teams in preparation for the respective regular seasons of their mother leagues.
• Reinforced Conference (2015–2016; 2019) is a tournament similar to the Open Conference, considered as the "2nd conference" of the league. Although named as "Reinforced", most teams have not opted to hire foreign reinforcements.

Results summary

Open

Invitational

Reinforced (c. 2015–2016; 2019)

Collegiate (c. 2015–2016)

Champions

Awardees

Below is the table for the most awarded players in the league's history (2015–2016; 2018–present):

Notable records

• Marck Espejo of the Cignal HD Spikers holds the record of highest number of scored points in a single game, 43 points (33 spikes, 2 blocks & 8 service aces).
  • Previous record holder was Howard Mojica of the EAC Generals with 41 points (38 spikes, 1 block & 2 service aces) in a match against the Ateneo Blue Eagles during the quarter finals round of the 2015 collegiate conference - ref. Match 34 P2
• The Ateneo Blue Eagles made history in the Spikers' Turf by being the first team to sweep a collegiate conference (13 wins & 0 loss).
• Cignal HD Spikers also made history in the Spikers' Turf by being the first club/corporate team to sweep a conference (15 wins & 0 loss).

Venues

The league's games are mainly held across Metro Manila, primarily on Paco Arena from 2019 to 2023. Recently, the games have dispersed again outside Paco Arena, with some playing outside the metropolis.

• Metro Manila
  • Blue Eagle Gym, Quezon City
  • Filoil EcoOil Centre, San Juan City
  • PhilSports Arena, Pasig
  • Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig
  • Paco Arena, Manila
  • Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila
  • Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Manila
• Outside of Metro Manila
  • Ynares Center, Antipolo
  • Santa Rosa Sports Complex, Santa Rosa

Media coverage

The league's initial broadcast partner was the People's Television Network in its first season. In 2016, it was handed over to ABS-CBN Sports+Action, the same broadcast partner with its former women's counterpart league, Shakey's V-League. This partnership with ABS-CBN continued as the Spikers' Turf merged with the rebranded Premier Volleyball League. Upon its separation from the PVL and re-establishment, Cignal TV became the league's primary broadcast partner in 2018.

With the rise of online streaming services, the live coverage of the games can be viewed via Cignal Play, Pilipinas Live app, and the league's official website.

See also

• Premier Volleyball League
• V-League (Philippines)
• UAAP volleyball championships
• NCAA volleyball championships (Philippines)
• Volleyball in the Philippines
• Men's Asian Club Volleyball Championship

References

1. "Spikers' Turf showcases best in men's volleyball". Manila: The Philippine Star. March 25, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
2. Payo, Jasmine (March 25, 2015). "Men's volley hits scene with Spikers' Turf April 5". Manila: Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
3. From the wires (March 28, 2015). "IEM Volley Masters head cast in eight-team Spikers' Turf volleyball tournament". Sport Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
4. "Cagayan, Champion clash as Spikers' Turf unwraps". V-League.ph. April 4, 2015. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
5. Villar, Joey (April 8, 2015). "Rising Suns dim Champion Infinity in Spikers Turf". website. Philstar. Philstar Sports Hub. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
6. Villar, Joey (December 27, 2016). "Shakey's V-League to rename to 'Philippine V-League'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
7. Escarlote, Mark (March 29, 2017). "Sports Vision, ABS-CBN ink new partnership for PVL". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
8. Lopez, Mark Edward (October 1, 2018). "PVL: Spikers' Turf returns, fires off on October 6". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
9. Agcaoili, Lance (November 14, 2020). "Alyssa Valdez the founding president of Spiker's Turf, reveals Palou". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
10. Agcaoili, Lance (November 12, 2020). "As PVL turns professional, Spikers' Turf set to follow suit". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
11. "Alyssa Valdez, now Spikers' Turf president, bats for resumption of men's league". ABS-CBN News. November 18, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
12. Agcaoili, Lance (March 16, 2021). "Spikers Turf hits snag as only three of six teams agree to turn pro". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
13. Lozada, Bong (October 23, 2019). "Espejo unleashes record 43 points as Cignal bags Spikers' Turf title". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
14. Lozada, Bong (September 27, 2015). "Ateneo goes 13-0, sweeps NU for Spikers' Turf title". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
15. Villar, Joey (September 28, 2015). "Eagles whip Bulldogs, cop Spikers' Turf crown". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
16. Mallari, Gab (March 31, 2023). "Cignal completes historic, undefeated run to rule Spikers' Turf Open Conference". One Sports. Retrieved September 8, 2023.

External links

• Official website

• Spikers' Turf
• Premier Volleyball League
• Shakey's V-League
• Volleyball competitions in the Philippines
• Sports leagues established in 2015
• 2015 establishments in the Philippines
• Professional sports leagues in the Philippines