MANILA, Philippines – June 22, 2025. This weekend, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) had a grand and symbolic opening for its first PVL On Tour at the recently opened Chavit Coliseum in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The initial phase of the two-month provincial showcase took elite volleyball action straight to the provinces, with fans crammed into the contemporary stadium and excitement throbbing through the bleachers. Powerhouse squads Creamline Cool Smashers and Cignal HD Spikers won handily to get things started.

The PVL On Tour is intended to serve as a grassroots effort and competitive platform for team development and national team scouting, in addition to being a preseason competition, as part of a larger goal to expand the game outside of Metro Manila. The goal of the tour, according to PVL President Ricky Palou, is to “deepen the connection between communities and the sport” by giving local fans throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao a chance to see the league’s best talents up close.

Back-to-back matches from Pool B took place on the first day of competition. The Cignal HD Spikers defeated the Akari Chargers in straight sets, 25–23, 25–14, 25–23. Cignal appeared well-prepared and focused despite an offseason filled with roster changes and reconstruction. Erika Santos and Tin Tiamzon, two important offseason additions, made an instant impression with their respective contributions of 14 and 11 points. As Cignal managed a compact offensive system with strong defensive transitions, their rapport with seasoned players like Gel Cayuna, Roselyn Doria, Ishie Lalongisip, and Jackie Acuña was clear.

Mainstays Grethcel Soltones and Ivy Lacsina showed signs of promise, but Akari found it difficult to stay consistent. Despite their best efforts to rally in the third set, Cignal was able to end the match thanks to unforced errors and poor reception. The task facing head coach Jorge Souza de Brito now is to swiftly restore squad unity prior to their upcoming game.

With a dazzling 25–10, 25–21, 25–10 sweep of the relatively new Capital1 Solar Spikers, league heavyweights Creamline Cool Smashers quickly established their supremacy in the evening’s major event. The strength, depth, and fluidity that Creamline is known for were all evident. The Cool Smashers’ offense was launched with two early aces and a timely block by newcomer Sheena Toring, but the veteran core was headed by starters Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao, and Jema Galanza.

With her skillful ball distribution, setter Kyle Negrito kept Capital1’s blocks guessing while taking advantage of free lanes for her spikers. When Capital1 briefly threatened to reduce the gap late in the second set, Jeanette Panaga and Jema Galanza grabbed control at the net with crucial kills and block points. What may have been a pivotal moment was reversed by Creamline’s successful challenge call, which effectively stopped the Solar Spikers’ momentum.

With 43 attack points to Capital1’s 27, eight blocks, and just ten unforced errors to their opponent’s 17, the figures demonstrated Creamline’s dominance. Since the Cool Smashers don’t appear to be rusting, they have reclaimed their position as early favorites for both the tour and the whole PVL season.

There are two pools of six teams apiece for the PVL On Tour. Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, PLDT, Galeries Tower, Farm Fresh, and Nxled are all part of Pool A. Creamline, Cignal, Akari, Capital1, Chery Tiggo, and ZUS Coffee are all in Pool B, which is where the action started. From June 22 to July 29, teams will compete in a round-robin format. Teams seeded third through sixth will go to a play-in round, while the top two teams from each pool will advance straight to the quarterfinals. The winner will have a major advantage going into the PVL Invitational Conference in August. The semifinals and finals will be single-elimination.

The second round of games is scheduled for Monday at the Chavit Coliseum, with Cignal taking against Capital1 at 4:00 p.m. and Creamline and Akari facing off at 6:30 p.m.

With the aim of energizing regional fan bases and introducing more Filipinos to professional volleyball, the tour will continue to visit more host cities, such as Batangas City (June 28), Isabela, Iloilo, Cebu, and more. The PVL On Tour offers young fans and local athletes a unique and motivating chance to watch their heroes perform without having to go to Manila.