The Philippine SuperLiga (PSL) has big plans for 2016.
To open the year, the PSL will treat the Philippine volleyball fans to a brand new tournament, the PSL Invitational, which is composed of six competitive teams that will be duking it out for a chance to battle against a Thai club team.
Headlining the tournament are the usual suspects, the Cignal HD Spikers, the Foton Toplanders, and the new look Petron Tri-active Spikers. While the three teams will have shuffled their rosters for the tournament, Petron is the team with the biggest change as they are without the services of three of their most potent scorers during the past few conferences, Aby Marano, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, and Rachel Ann Daquis.
Aside from these three powerhouses, there are a couple of brand new teams joining the PSL for the first time. First up is the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, bannered by former Lasallians, Cha Cruz and Aby Marano, as well as veterans like Pau Soriano and Danika Gendrauli. The other new kid on the block is the San Jose Builders Victorias, led by Lourdes Clemente and Coleen Bravo from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.
Completing the six-team league is another familiar face. The RC Cola Army Lady Troopers are back, ready to retake their crown. Veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga and Tina Salak, as well as former Petron Blaze Spiker, Rachel Anne Daquis will lead the charge for the Lady Troopers.
Each team will battle it out, single round robin, in the preliminary round, with the top three teams advancing to the final round. In the final round, the three teams will be joined by a Thai club team, and all four teams will engage in another single round robin, with the number one team being crowned the champion of the tournament.
Here is the schedule of the whole tournament:
It’s not just a new tournament that the PSL has in store for the year. A few new additions that PSL President, Ramon (Tats) Suzara hopes the league makes use of is the use of referees making use of headphones and microphones to streamline the officiating of the matches, as well as the possibility of a brand new LED net system.
“We have the goal that our referees make use of headphones and microphones. PSL will also have an official referee’s uniform. Of course there’s a lot of innovation for the conferences. Hopefully this year we’ll have an LED net system, so pag natamaan yung net magkakaroon ng ilaw yung LED. Last year we had the video challenge, sana this year we have the LED system,” said Suzara in the PSL Invitational press conference.
It looks like 2016 is going to be an exciting year for the PSL, and it all kicks of later today in the Filoil Flying V Arena as the RC Cola Army Lady Troopers go up against the Foton Toplanders, and the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers tackle the New San Jose Builders Victorias.
