Philippines now set to host AVC Women's Champions League

February 23 ------ THE Philippines will now host the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League from April 20 to 27, adding another international volleyball tournament to the country’s already-busy calendar. As per the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), South Korea was first set to host the competition before it was moved to Vietnam which subsequently it turned down. 

The regional competition, formerly called the Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship, will feature 12 of Asia’s finest ball clubs vying for the continent's two spots in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship — the biggest annual international tournament for club teams. This year, the champion of the ongoing 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference will be the Philippines’ representative to the tournament. 

The eventual PVL champions and the rest of the 12-team field will be allowed to add two foreign guest players to their 14-woman squads. Three teams have already qualified for the Asian conclave as of writing: champion teams NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki (Japan), Nakhon Ratchasima QminC (Thailand), and VTV Bình Điền Long An (Vietnam). 

League sources bared that the Philsports Arena in Pasig where PVL matches are regularly held and the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City are the two venues being considered to host the week-long competition. The AVC event will be among the Philippines’ first orders of duty before hosting the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in September where Alas Pilipinas will compete in a tournament-record 32-team field. 

Source: spin.ph