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]
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.
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
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.
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.
legend: 1C – 1st conference, 2C – 2nd conference, F – All-Filipino conference, I – invitational conference, O – open conference, C – collegiate conference, R – reinforced conference
