Shakey's V-League

The Shakey's V-League was a non-professional volleyball league in the Philippines established in 2004. It began as a women's collegiate league with teams coming from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation (CESAFI), among others. Corporate clubs and other non-collegiate teams began participation in 2011.

A men's division was included in its 21st conference (2014). It served as the precursor of the Spikers' Turf, the following year.

In December 2016, the league renamed itself and transitioned into the current professional entity — Premier Volleyball League, parting ways with its prime sponsor, Shakey's Pizza.

History

Inception and early years (2004-2011)

The Shakey's V-League was established in 2004 by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. led by former Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Jun Bernardino, Ricky Palou, Moying Martelino and Rhea Navarro. The league was initially an inter-collegiate women's competition with participants from the UAAP, NCAA, and CESAFI. The SVL's founding was in cooperation with Shakey's Pizza (Philippines) serving as its title sponsor until 2016. Prior to the league's establishment, the sport was in a state of stagnation since the 1990s with the women's collegiate tournament of the Metro Manila-based UAAP at that point serving as the ''de facto'' highest tier of competitive volleyball in the country.

Every season originally spanned from April to November with the tournaments aptly named "First" and "Second Conference" until 2011 when the latter tourney was replaced by the "Open" and "Reinforced" tournaments

Among the unique rules implemented by the Shakey's V-League at the onset was allowing the collegiate teams to have maximum of two reinforcements - termed as "guest players" - on their roster. These guest players have ranged from alumni of participating schools, incoming college freshmen who use the tournament as preparation for the upcoming season of their mother leagues, and foreigners (among the few notables being the Thais Jaroensri Bualee, Patcharee Sangmuang, and Lithawat Kesinee).

In a few cases, participating schools had guest players who were alumni of another collegiate program to level the competitive field.

Prior to 2011, accommodating guest players for colleges were allowed in the two (or in a few instances, three) tournaments held during the year - they were henceforth limited to the league's First Conference held during the collegiate summer break every April to June as the Open or Reinforced Conferences accommodated semi-professional corporate squads until such format was succeeded by the "one foreign import" per team in 2016.

The UST Golden Tigresses won the inaugural V-League championship in 2004 defeating the DLSU Lady Archers. But DLSU won the next three conferences, defeating UST in both tourneys of Season 2 and the SSC-R Lady Stags in Season 3, sweeping both in the Finals of the three conferences.

The UST Tigresses returned to the league in 2007, after missing Season 3, winning both tournaments of Season 4 by defeating the SSC-R Lady Stags in both finals series.

Year 2008 saw the crowning of two other schools aside from UST and DLSU. Adamson University won the championship in Season 5's First Conference defeating the Ateneo Lady Eagles while San Sebastian College-Recoletos Lady Stags won the succeeding Second Conference by sweeping the two comebacking champion teams: DLSU Lady Archers in the semifinals and UST Tigresses in the finals.

However, the Tigresses made history via a "three-peat" winning their fourth, fifth and sixth championships by sweeping both tourneys of Season 6 by defeating SSC-R and Adamson, respectively in both championship series, and again winning the first conference of Season 7 by beating SSC-R for the fourth time in the finals. It was the battle for silver of the prior two conferences when Adamson University faced the Lady Stags of SSC-R in the finals of the 2nd Conference Season 7. Adamson won its second V-League crown after defeating San Sebastian 2–1 in their Finals series.

2011-16: inclusion of corporate teams

The Shakey's V-League formally welcomed the participation of corporate and non-collegiate teams starting 2011.

The Ateneo Lady Eagles won their first Shakey's V-League crown by defeating defending champions Adamson in the Finals of Season 8's First Conference. The 2nd Conference for the year was renamed as the Shakey's V-League Open Conference as it was opened to semi-commercial teams with the addition of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force and Maynilad. The Philippine Army won their first Shakey's V-League championship. Season 8-Open Conference, Shakey's V-League also aired on GMA Life TV, GMA News TV and GMA Pinoy TV for international viewers.

Season 9 was locally aired by the AKTV bloc on IBC13 and the Hyper channel.

Beginning its 10th Season, Shakey's V-League's new broadcasting partner was GMA News TV. Matches were aired at 1PM to 3PM during weekdays, and 12:45PM to 2:30PM during Saturdays. On May 26, 2013, Shakey's V-League held its first live TV coverage via GMA News TV. It is also announced that the Game 3 matches, both for Championship and the Battle for 3rd will be aired live on GMA News TV on June 2, 2013. During the Season 10 Open Conference, Cagayan Valley made history as the Lady Rising Suns scored a tournament sweep, winning all matches from the elimination to the Finals en route to the team's first (and only) V-League title with a 2–0 series win over Smart-Maynilad Net Spikers.

On October 2, 2014, it was reported that a men's division will be included in its 21st conference with four teams.

On May 24, 2016, it was officially announced that Shakey's V-League will be aired on S+A Channel 23 following an agreement between Sports Vision, Shakey's and ABS-CBN Sports.

Rebrand to PVL (2016)

In December 2016, it was announced that starting the 14th season in 2017, Shakey's V-League will be renamed as the Premier Volleyball League (PVL). The season will start with the Reinforced Conference instead of the Open Conference in March 2017. The Spikers' Turf, a men's league spun-off from the league will be merged back into the PVL. Shakey's Pizza will remain as a presenter or major sponsor.

Return of the V-League (2022)

Due to the Premier Volleyball League's transition into a professional league, Sports Vision revived the V-League competition which collegiate teams can participate in 2022. With Shakey's not being the title sponsor in the new league, they would partner with Athletic Events and Sports Management Group Inc. (ACES), former owners of the Philippine Super Liga, to create the Shakey's Super League.

Teams

Women's division

Collegiate

* Adamson Lady Falcons
* Arellano Lady Chiefs
* Ateneo Lady Eagles
* Benilde Lady Blazers
* FEU Lady Tamaraws
* De La Salle University-Dasmarinas Lady Patriots
* Letran Lady Knights
* Lyceum Lady Pirates
* De La Salle Lady Archers
* NU Lady Bulldogs
* PCU Lady Dolphins
* PUP Lady Radicals
* San Beda Lady Red Spikers
* San Sebastian Lady Stags
* Mapúa Lady Cardinals
* SWU Lady Cobras
* St. Louis University Lady Navigators
* TIP Lady Engineers
* University of Batangas Lady Brahmans
* Perpetual Lady Altas
* UE Lady Warriors
* University of San Carlos Lady Warriors
* USJ–R Lady Jaguars
* USLS Lady Stingers

Foreign guest teams

* Malaysia Club Team-MAS Club (Malaysia)
* Vietsovpetro (Vietnam)

Selection teams

* PSC Lady Legends
* Smart All-Stars
* Shakey's All-Stars
* Team Palaban All-Stars
* Team Puso All-Stars

Corporate and club

* Baguio Summer Spikers
* BaliPure Purest Water Defenders
* Bureau of Customs Transformers
* Davao Lady Agilas
* Iriga Lady Oragons
* Kia Forte
* Laoag Power Smashers
* PLDT Home Ultera Ultra Fast Hitters
* Maynilad Water Dragons
* Smart/ Maynilad Net Spikers
* Philippine Air Force Jet Spikers
* Philippine Army Lady Troopers
* Philippine Coast Guard
* Philippine Navy Lady Sailors
* Philippine National Police Lady Patrollers
* Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors
* Sandugo/ SSC-R Lady Conquerors
* Cagayan Valley Lady Rising Suns
* MERALCO Power Spikers
* Fourbees– Perpetual Help

Men's division

* Instituto Estetico Manila Volley Masters
* Systema Active Smashers
* Rizal Technological University Blue Thunder
* FEU Tamaraws

Championship results

The UST Tigresses have the most number of championships (six), followed by the DLSU Lady Spikers & NU Lady Bulldogs (three). The Adamson Lady Falcons, Ateneo Lady Eagles, Philippine Army Lady Troopers, PLDT Home Ultera Ultra Fast Hitters, Cagayan Valley Lady Rising Suns and Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors have won two championships each. The San Sebastian Lady Stags, Vietsovpetro (VIE), Sandugo- San Sebastian, and FEU Lady Tamaraws each have one championship.

Awardees

Below is the table for the most awarded players in the league's history (2004–2016):

Playing venues

The Lyceum of the Philippines University gymnasium in Intramuros, the Blue Eagle Gym, and the Rizal Memorial Coliseum served as the first rotating venues of the SVL due to the sport still being considered niche by that point, with audiences primarily being the players' relatives and physical education students.

This changed by 2009, as all league games began to be held at the Filoil Flying V Arena as fan bases for the sport grew. In 2013, the semi-final to championship rounds of season 10 were moved to the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay and the Philsports Arena in Pasig to accommodate larger crowds. Prior to the SVL's transition into the current PVL, elimination games were held at the FilOil Flying V Arena while the semifinals to the championships were permanently moved to the MOA Arena

Broadcast partners

Similar to the current structure being done by the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, Shakey's V-League utilized an in-house broadcast panel until 2016 to cover the games. Current PBA radio anchor and public address barker Noel Zarate and Sev Sarmenta originally served as the longtime play-by-play commentators with Mozzy Ravena, Noreen Go and Ivy Remulla, among others providing color commentary. Miriam College alumna and volleyball coach Maria Aurora "Mac" Gepuela serves as the SVL's main in-venue public address announcer. Upon ABS-CBN Sports' gaining of the league's broadcast rights in 2016, Anton Roxas, Boom Gonzales and the network's in-house personnel replaced Zarate and Sarmenta. Gepuela remained as the public address announcer.

IBC-13 served as the inaugural partner from 2004-2005 before moving to the Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) from.2005-06. NBN/PTV–4 took over from 2007–2011 before transferring to the AKTV bloc on IBC-13 from 2012–2013 with a concurrent satellite TV coverage through Cignal TV's Hyper. GMA News TV (2013–2015) served as the last partner of Sports Vision's in house broadcast panel before ABS-CBN Sports took over in 2016 through Channel 23.

For overseas viewers, GMA Life TV, GMA Pinoy TV and GMA News TV International carried the games before transferring to S+A International in 2016.

; Local
* IBC-13 (2004–05)
* TV5/ AKTV on IBC-13 (2005–06; 2012–2013)
* NBN/PTV–4 (2007–2011)
* Hyper (2012–2013)
* GMA News TV (2013–2015)
* S+A (2016)
** S+A HD (2016)

; International
* GMA Life TV (2011–2015)
* GMA Pinoy TV (2011–2015)
* GMA News TV International (2011–2015)
* S+A International (2016)

See also

*Premier Volleyball League
*Spikers' Turf
*V-League (Philippines)
*Philippine Super Liga

References

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Premier Volleyball League
Volleyball leagues in the Philippines
Philippines
College women's volleyball tournaments in the Philippines
2004 establishments in the Philippines
2016 disestablishments in the Philippines
Sports leagues established in 2004
Sports leagues disestablished in 2016