Games Sunday
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
3:30 p.m. – Philippine Army vs Petro Gazz
6 p.m. – Cignal vs Chery Tiggo
Four professional clubs test their souped-up rosters with new prized recruits as the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Champions League unwraps with a double-header on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Petro Gazz takes on the Philippine Army in the first game at 3:30 p.m. followed by the clash between Cignal and Chery Tiggo in the main event at 6 p.m. to kickstart the first event of the PNVF headed by president Ramon “Tats” Suzara this year.
It will be the return of Lady Troopers in the volleyball scene since skipping the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) last year while the three other pro clubs will be parading their new-look units for the first time ahead of their anticipated PVL stints.
Leading the march are the former players of now-disbanded F2 Logistics – which ruled the first-ever PNVF Champions League during the pandemic in the Batangas bubble – after scattering to different teams.
Veteran middle blocker Aby Maraño is now with Chery Tiggo, libero Dawn Macandili will defend the floor with Cignal while seasoned spiker Myla Pablo returns to her old team Petro Gazz in a stunning off-season development.
More F2 players will suit up for their new teams starting in the PNVF with Ara Galang teaming up with Maraño for Chery Tiggo and Jovelyn Fernandez joining Macandili in Cignal.
Aside from Pablo, Petro Gazz scooped up four more acquisitions in Fil-American ace Brooke Van Sickle from the US NCAA, ex-PLDT spiker Mich Morente and former F2 players Ethan Arce and Joy Dacoron.
For the Philippine Army, veterans Joveyln Gonzaga, Honey Royse Tubino and Mary Jean Balse are out to give the young squads a run for their own money in the elite tilt supported by PLDT Ayala Land, Nuvali, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+, Mikasa, Senoh, Foton, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.
But more the star players, the PNVF Champions League will serve as the debut of new Petro Gazz new head coach Koji Tsuzurabara, a Japanese mentor with a wealth of international experience now weaving his magic in Philippine volleyball.
Tsuzurabara, who had coaching gigs with Oita Miyoshi and Hitachi in Japan, Hamilton in New Zealand and Al-Hedayah in Saudi Arabia, previously called the shots for the U-19 team of Kinh Bac Bac Ninh from Vietnam in the PVL last year.
“We really appreciate participating in this event. I started training with the team only 10 days ago so this will be big for us. I just want the team to enjoy playing in this tournament,” said Tsuzurabara, who handled the national teams of Thailand (U-20 and U-21), Malaysia, Myanmar, and Chinese Taipei.
NCAA champion and PNVF Challenge Cup queen College of St. Benilde, which will debut Monday against Petro Gazz, completes the five-team women’s division of the tourney that will be aired live on One Sports and One Sports+ and livestreamed on Pilipinas Live and on a delayed basis on Cignal.