The Philippine volleyball fanbase is in for a yearlong treat of high-level competition at both the local and international levels for 2025.
From a year filled with hope in 2024, a stacked 2025 now awaits the Philippine volleyball scene in both the local and international scene. Things are about to get more competitive in the PVL, while the collegiate scene will give us another view of the future stars of Philippine volleyball.
National teams will take center stage midway into the year, while international favorites will dazzle their fans once more with world-class play.
With an exciting year ahead of us, here’s what we can expect for Philippine volleyball throughout 2025.
PVL All-Filipino Conference action heats up
The stakes will be higher than ever when the 2024-2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference re-opens this January 18 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig. Top teams look to sustain their hot starts, while other squads hope to gain consistency and growth midway through the preliminary rounds.
Barring any changes, preliminary rounds will conclude on February 22, with qualifying rounds expected to start on February 27. Under the current format, the qualifying rounds serve as an early ticket to the postseason. Winning teams move to the quarterfinals while losing teams will have a last-chance qualifier through the play-in tournament.
A best-of-three quarterfinals will be followed by the traditional round-robin semis, which will determine the eventual finals contender. So from this point forward, nothing but the best will be needed from each team in their pursuit of a hard-earned championship.
Collegiate volleyball resumes
Collegiate volleyball is set to open midway through the increasing PVL competition, with the UAAP expected to open its Season 87 volleyball tournament by February.
Much like the PVL, storylines will be aplenty in the collegiate volleyball scene. Can the NU Bulldogs continue their dominance over the playing field? How will the La Salle Lady Spikers fare with a youth-laden lineup? Or can UST get over the hump in both men’s and women’s volleyball?
The NCAA, meanwhile, may open their collegiate volleyball tournaments in between February to April based on the past two seasons.
With another round of collegiate volleyball, we’ll also get a preview of the next PVL draft class, which might include NU’s championship core if they forgo their fifth playing year after Season 87.
PVL All-Filipino queens head to the AVC Champions League
First announced last November, this year’s PVL All-Filipino Conference champions will double as the Philippines’ representative in the 2025 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Champions League to be held in Seoul, South Korea.
The All-Filipino champs will be part of a 12-team field composed of Asia’s best club teams, with a $50,000 (around PHP 2.9 million) cash prize on the line. There will also be the opportunity to learn from this elite playing field, along with showcasing the growth of Philippine volleyball over the years once the regional meet kicks off.
The FIVB Men’s World Championships
From September 12 to 28, the Philippines will be hosting the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championships (MWCH), with 32 teams playing it out for the coveted championship.
Alas Pilipinas Men will open the games on September 12 as they face World No. 24 Tunisia, before locking horns with Egypt (Sept. 16) and Iran (Sept. 18) in Pool A. Without a doubt, this experience will provide lessons our nationals can apply in building a competitive core down the line.
Fans may also get the chance to see their idols play world-class volleyball live, with games being held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena for a total of 17 days and 64 matches of high-level men’s volleyball.
Alas Pilipinas’ medal bids in the 2025 SEA Games
Following a productive first year as Alas Pilipinas, can the country’s national volleyball teams turn that momentum into medals for the 2025 Southeast Asian Games this December?
Should the stars align, Alas Pilipinas Women can break a 20-year podium drought in women’s indoor volleyball. Since their bronze medal at the 2005 Manila SEA Games, the nationals have settled for fourth or fifth-place finishes in the biennial meet.
Alas Men, meanwhile, hopes to add another medal following their historic silver medal on home soil in 2019.
The same goes for our beach volleyball programs, with the men’s team looking to build on their continued bronze medal finishes since 2019. Over on the women’s side, it’s a matter of bouncing back after the 2023 contingent missed out on a medal finish.
Banner image from the Southeast Asian Volleyball Association on Facebook.