Creamline’s Michele Gumabao and Kyle Negrito in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals. PVL Media Bureau/file
MANILA — The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) has unveiled its tournament format for the upcoming 2026 All-Filipino Conference, scheduled to commence on January 31.
Down to 10 teams as Chery Tiggo was disbanded and Petro Gazz took a leave of absence, the league still promises a balanced and intriguing field for its flagship tourney.
The PVL said that under the new system, a team goes on to sweep the single round-robin eliminations would clinch an outright berth in the semifinals, giving premium to the lone team that would emerge on top with a clean slate.
But if no squad sweeps the elimination round, the top four squads will clash in the qualifying round knockout matches. The winners will advance to the next round, while the losers drop to the play-in stepladder, a newly introduced phase, where teams placing fifth to 10th get a second chance to stay alive.
Rankings, like any other PVL tourney, will still be determined through the FIVB Team Classification System.
The semifinals will have a single round-robin format, and the top two teams will contest the chip in a best-of-three Finals at the Araneta Coliseum, currently scheduled to conclude on April 28.
Volleyball action courtesy of the PVL commences January 31, with Galeries taking on Cignal, while Akari will see the team up of Eya Laure and Sisi Rondina for the first time in the pro ranks.
Nxled, after absorbing the Petro Gazz core, is now a formidable force to be reckoned with, bannered by reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle.
Creamline, the league’s winningest squad, is gunning for redemption after missing the podiums in 2025.
