AVC and PNVF president Tats Suzara announced that the Women’s Volleyball Nations League will return to the Philippines, this time heading to Cebu, where it will be staged at the soon-to-rise SM Seaside Arena.
Suzara made the announcement on Tuesday during a press conference for the ongoing 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
This will mark the return of the women’s edition of the tournament to the country for the first time since 2022, when it hosted Pool B, which featured teams such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Japan, Poland, Thailand, and the United States during the second week.
“Although I don’t want to announce it as early as now, but for the next two years, 2026-27, the VNL will come back to Manila, but not in Manila, hopefully in Cebu. In 2026-27, the VNL will be in Cebu, and it will be women’s,” Suzara told reporters.
“So pahinga muna tayo sa men because men’s world championship tayo this year, so 2026, 2027, as agreed with SM, with Hans Sy, we are bringing VNL to Cebu, VNL Women’s 2026 and 2027. So this is a big thing for us, punta tayong lahat sa Cebu because they are building a new arena in Cebu,” he added.
Suzara, a Cebuano himself, believes that fans from Cebu will warmly embrace the event.
Recently, the Premier Volleyball League brought games to Minglanilla, where they received an overwhelming response from fans — unsurprising given Cebu’s deep volleyball roots and the number of homegrown stars who have emerged from the province.
“Alam mo naman, the fans in Cebu are really crazy, so they’re very hungry [for volleyball]. Also that’s my home province, I’m a Cebuano,” said the longtime volleyball official.
While Suzara is excited about the VNL’s return to the Philippines, he is also preparing for a busy year ahead for Asian volleyball, as the continent is set to host seven world championships this year.
Before the VNL returns to Philippine soil, the AVC is gearing up for a busy year, with seven world-level championships scheduled to take place across Asia, showcasing the region’s growing influence and talent in the sport.
Among the major events scheduled are the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Thailand and the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in Manila.
Also taking place this year are the FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia, the FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship in China, the FIVB Boys’ U19 World Championship in Uzbekistan, and the Men’s and Women’s Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide.
#WATCH: AVC President Tats Suzara confirms it — SM Seaside Arena in Cebu will be a host venue for the Volleyball Nations League in 2026 and 2027! 🌊 🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times#VNL pic.twitter.com/LiA9XoUkVV
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 22, 2025
