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) |
|
| Official website | spikersturf |
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.[1][2][3] The following year, Sports Vision decided to spin off the men's division as a separate league, giving birth to the Spikers' Turf.[4][5]
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).[6][7] 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[8] and was reestablished as a separate legal entity from the PVL.[9]
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.[10] The league did not stage its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] 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.[12]
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
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sta. Elena–NU Nationals | Cignal HD Spikers | Maruichi Hyogo | 2023 Invitational |
| 2024 | Cignal HD Spikers | Criss Cross King Crunchers | Savouge Spin Doctors | 2024 Invitational |
Reinforced (c. 2015–2016; 2019)
Collegiate (c. 2015–2016)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ateneo Blue Eagles | NU Bulldogs | EAC Generals | 2015 Collegiate |
| 2016 | Ateneo Blue Eagles | NU Bulldogs | UST Golden Spikers | 2016 Collegiate |
| 2017 | see Premier Volleyball League | |||
| 2018 | ||||
| 2022 | see V-League | |||
Champions
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Champion conferences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cignal HD Spikers | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2015 Reinforced, 2019 Reinforced, 2019 Open, 2023 Open, 2024 Open, 2024 Invitational |
| Philippine Air Force Airmen | 4 | 3 | 2016 Open, 2016 Reinforced, 2018 Open | |
| Sta. Elena–NU Nationals | 2 | — | 1 | 2022 Open, 2023 Invitational |
| Ateneo Blue Eagles | — | — | 2015 Collegiate, 2016 Collegiate | |
| PLDT Home Fibr Power Hitters | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2015 Open |
Awardees
Below is the table for the most awarded players in the league's history (2015–2016; 2018–present):
| Rank | Name | Current / Last team | Position | Years playing in Spikers' Turf | MVP award | Positional award | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | |||||||
| 1 | Marck Jesus Espejo | Kubota (Japan) | OH | 2015 | 2024 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Ysrael Wilson Marasigan | Criss Cross | OP | 2015 | present | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | Alnakran Abdilla | Air Force | OH | 2015 | 2024 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | Mark Alfafara | PLDT | OH | 2015 | 2019 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Bryan Bagunas | Win Streak (Taiwan) | OH | 2015 | 2024 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Peter Den Mar Torres | Cignal | MB | 2015 | 2023 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Manuel Sumanguid III | Criss Cross | L | 2015 | present | 0 | 4 | ||
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).[13]
- 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).[14][15]
- 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).[16]
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
- Outside of Metro Manila
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.
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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
- ^ "Spikers' Turf showcases best in men's volleyball". Manila: The Philippine Star. March 25, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ Payo, Jasmine (March 25, 2015). "Men's volley hits scene with Spikers' Turf April 5". Manila: Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Villar, Joey (December 27, 2016). "Shakey's V-League to rename to 'Philippine V-League'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
- ^ Escarlote, Mark (March 29, 2017). "Sports Vision, ABS-CBN ink new partnership for PVL". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ Lopez, Mark Edward (October 1, 2018). "PVL: Spikers' Turf returns, fires off on October 6". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (November 14, 2020). "Alyssa Valdez the founding president of Spiker's Turf, reveals Palou". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (November 12, 2020). "As PVL turns professional, Spikers' Turf set to follow suit". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ "Alyssa Valdez, now Spikers' Turf president, bats for resumption of men's league". ABS-CBN News. November 18, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lozada, Bong (October 23, 2019). "Espejo unleashes record 43 points as Cignal bags Spikers' Turf title". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ Lozada, Bong (September 27, 2015). "Ateneo goes 13-0, sweeps NU for Spikers' Turf title". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ Villar, Joey (September 28, 2015). "Eagles whip Bulldogs, cop Spikers' Turf crown". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^ Mallari, Gab (March 31, 2023). "Cignal completes historic, undefeated run to rule Spikers' Turf Open Conference". One Sports. Retrieved September 8, 2023.