Spikers’ Turf has pledged its all-out support for Alas Pilipinas following the national team’s improbable run at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship last month.
The country’s premier men’s volleyball league announced that it will be lenient with clubs fielding national team members in the upcoming 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference, which begins on Monday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Alas Pilipinas’ next international campaign will be in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, set to take place in Thailand in early December.
During the Invitational Conference press conference on Monday at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas, Spikers’ Turf tournament director Mozzy Ravena discussed the league’s plans regarding the expected withdrawal of national team players from their respective clubs.
“For one, siguro to be clear, we’re really in all-out support sa national team natin dito sa Spikers’ Turf. That’s why we’re allowing them to practice or to go to camps or kung ano man yung plano ng national team,” said Ravena.
Among the eight participating teams in the season-ending conference, Cignal, Criss Cross, PGJC-Navy, and University of Santo Tomas–Gameville have players currently part of the national squad.
The HD Spikers’ representatives in the World Championships were Vince Lorenzo, Owa Retamar, Louie Ramirez, and Lloyd Josafat, while the King Crunchers had Marck Espejo, Eco Adajar, and Kim Malabunga.
Josh Ybañez from UST is expected to join Alas for the SEA Games, while Jack Kalingking will represent PGJC-Navy.
In light of these commitments, the Spikers’ Turf will allow affected clubs to sign replacement players once their national team members are pulled out for training or competition.
“‘Yung mga teams na may national team players, they are allowed to get more players in substitute dun sa mga maglalaro sa national team. But it’s also in their discretion kung papalaruin nila yung national team players nila, kung hanggang kailan,” Ravena shared.
“Kasi hindi rin naman natin alam baka pwede pa naman maglaro. So bahala na sila dun. Basta kami, all-out kami na sige lang, go lang. Tapos dadagdagan na lang namin kung ilan yung national team players nila. Pwede nilang palitan ng same number of players. So yan yung support namin.”
Even while expressing full backing for the national team, the league remains committed to its mission of elevating men’s volleyball in the Philippines by continuing the Invitational Conference — even without some of its star players.
Adding international flavor to the competition, two guest teams from Australia and Japan will join the tournament during the round-robin semifinals phase. Japan’s Kindai University and Australia’s ProVolley Academy will compete against the top four teams emerging from the elimination round.
“Kasi yun nga, sabi ko nga. Siyempre ang support ng Spikers’ Turf is not only sa pahiram. Siyempre if you look at the bigger picture, we really want to develop all the players para eventually, mas marami silang pagpipilian sa national team pool or sa lineup. So kaya rin hindi rin naman namin ma-i-cut short yung tournament natin para dun sa iba mag-develop din,” Ravena explained.
“Kasi in the future what we want is that siguro kada team may isa, dalawa. Para ma-spread out naman. Yun talaga yung goal, yun talaga yung dream — na lahat magkaroon ng national team player. Pero yun nga, for now, yun yung pinaka-solution na naisip namin. To let them go and practice for the SEA Games. Para malakas tayo sa SEA Games.”
