ILOILO City – D’Navigators-Iloilo is one of the 11 squads that will compete in the 2023 Spikers’ Turf men’s volleyball tournament which will begin this Sunday at the Paco Arena Events and Sports Center.
The Iloilo City-based volleyball team was pumped up with their upcoming participation after recently ruling the 2023 Dinagyang Volleyball League men’s category when they beat Tarag Lolek-Cadiz in the gold medal match.
“The team is very excited and proud to carry Iloilo in their jerseys in the Spikers’ Turf,” siad D’Navigators-Iloilo team owner and Ilonggo volleyball supporter Mike Navi.
Defending champion National University Bulldogs-Archipelago Builders and Cignal HD Spikers were tipped by the other teams as the favorites to contend for the season-opening championship.
Builders assistant coach Ariel Dela Cruz said that, unlike last year when the Bulldogs won the championship via a sweep of Cignal HD in the finals, the team is aware it’s not going to be a breeze retaining its title with four new teams coming on board this year.
“Mas maraming team, mas mahirap,” Dela Cruz said in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday. “I think we will be the youngest team kasi I don’t think makakalaro yung mga UAAP players namin kasi magsasabay yung UAAP season.”
“All I can say is sana makapag-compete kami sa lahat ng teams. Yan lang naman muna ang goal namin,” added Dela Cruz, who also served as head coach for Enderun Titans women’s volleyball team.
The other teams seeing action in the league’s sixth season are AMC Volleyball, City of Imus, City of Sta. Rosa, PGJC-Navy, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army Troopers, Vanguard Volleyball Team, and the VNS Volleyball Club.
“We’re happy with the results. We hope it gets bigger and we’re hoping to bring Spikers’ Turf to greater heights,” said Sports Vision president Ricky Palou. “We want to bring men’s volleyball to greater heights. That’s our goal.”
Games will be aired every Wednesday and Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. live on OneSports+ and OneSports. Once the UAAP season starts, the Wednesday and Friday games will be shown on a delayed basis on OneSports./PN
