PVL rolls out new All-Filipino Conference format as 10-team field opens Jan. 31

The 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference will commence on January 31 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, featuring a revamped competition format and a streamlined field of 10 teams.

The new format introduces significant changes to the tournament structure. During the single round-robin elimination phase, any team that achieves a perfect sweep will earn an automatic berth in the semifinals. If no team completes a sweep, the top four teams after eliminations will advance to Qualifying Round knockout matches, with the winners progressing further. Teams that lose in the Qualifying Round will enter a new Play-In Stepladder phase, which also includes teams ranked fifth to tenth from eliminations, giving them another chance to stay in contention. All rankings throughout the tournament will be determined using the FIVB Classification System, which considers match wins, set ratio, and points ratio.

The semifinals will be played in a single round-robin format, also using the FIVB system for ranking. The top two teams from the semifinals will then advance to a best-of-three championship finals, scheduled to be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The season opens with a doubleheader on January 31, featuring Galeries Tower Highrisers vs. Cignal Super Spikers at 4 p.m., followed by Akari Chargers vs. Choco Mucho Flying Titans at 6:30 p.m. Action continues on February 3 with Farm Fresh Foxies vs. Nxled Chameleons and ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles vs. Capital1 Solar Spikers. A highlight on February 5 will be the debut of the ten-time champion Creamline Cool Smashers against the PLDT High Speed Hitters.

The conference proceeds with a reduced 10-team lineup following the departure of the defending champion Petro Gazz Angels, who are on a leave of absence, and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, who have folded operations.

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