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Shakey's V-League

Sport	Volleyball
Founded	2004
Founder	Jun Bernardino
First season	2004
Ceased	2016
Replaced by	Premier Volleyball League
Country	Philippines
Venue(s)	Filoil Flying V Arena Philsports Arena
Last champion(s)	Pocari Sweat (2nd title)
Most titles	UST Tigresses (6 titles)
Official website	www.v-league.ph

The Shakey's V-League was a non-professional volleyball league in the Philippines that started 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. Since 2011, corporate clubs and other non-collegiate teams have also participated in the league.

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 league — Premier Volleyball League, parting its ways with its prime sponsor, Shakey's Pizza.

History

Early Years (2004-2011)

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

Every season originally spanned from April to November with the tournaments aptly named "First" and "Second Conference" until 2011 when the latter tourney being 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 the 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 increase 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 conferences (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.

Inception of Corporate Teams (2011-2016)

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 thumping 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 will also aired on GMA Life TV, GMA News TV and GMA Pinoy TV for the 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. In 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 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

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):

Rank	Name	Position	Years playing in SVL		MVP Award	Positional Award	Total
			From	To
1	Jaroensri Boalee (G)	OH	2007	2013	3	8	11
	Alyssa Valdez	OH	2011	2016	5	6
3	Mary Jean Balse-Pabayo	MB	2008	2016	3	7	10
4	Aiza Maizo-Pontillas	OPP	2007	2015	5	4	9
	Lizlee Ann Gata-Pantone	L	2007	2013	-	9
6	Jovelyn Gonzaga	OPP	2013	2015	3	5	8
7	Jaja Santiago	MB	2014	2016	2	5	7
8	Rachel Anne Daquis	OH	2010	2015	3	3	6
	Margarita Pepito	L	2006	2009	-	6
	Rubie De Leon	S	2013	2016	1	5

Playing venues

During its time, games are held at the Filoil Flying V Arena. During the semi-final to championship rounds of Season 10, games were held on the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay and in the iconic Philsports Arena in Pasig to accommodate larger attendance.

Past venues included the Lyceum of the Philippines University gymnasium, the Blue Eagle Gym, and the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

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 coliseum barker Noel Zarate and Sev Sarmenta originally served as the longtime play-by-play for the volleyball games 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

The television rights to cover the volleyball games were transferred to S+A from GMA News TV. A contract was signed in 2016.

• 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

1. Villar, Joey (March 25, 2015). "Spikers' Turf showcases best in men's volleyball". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
2. Payo, Jasmine W. (March 25, 2015). "Spikers' Turf showcases best in men's volleyball". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
3. "Spikers' Turf showcases best in men's volleyball". Spin.ph. March 28, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
4. ^ "Shakey's V-League Turning dormant sport to a sporting spectacle". The Philippine Star. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
5. ^ Satumbaga-Villar, Kristel (November 12, 2020). "PVL to turn pro - Ricky Palou". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
6. Mendoza, Al (June 10, 2013). "Secret behind success of Shakey's tourney". Manila Standard. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
7. Navarro, June (October 2, 2014). "Army to defend Shakey's V-League championship with all-Filipino crew". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
8. Villar, Joey (27 December 2016). "Shakey's V-League to rename to 'Philippine V-League'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
9. "About Us". V-League. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
10. "V-League relaunches with 12 men's, 8 women's varsity teams". Tiebreaker Times. October 9, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
11. Ulanday, John Bryan (4 May 2023). "High school spikers take the spotlight in Shakey's girl's[sic] volleyball tilt". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
12. Escarlote, Mark (November 20, 2016). "Team Palaban defeats Alyssa Valdez-led Team Puso". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
13. "Mac and Kris: A pair of sweet-voiced court announcers | ABS_CBN Sports Online".
14. ^ TERRADO, REUBEN (April 8, 2013). "Chance for live broadcast of playoff games as V-League moves to GMA News TV". SPin.ph. Retrieved June 23, 2023.

• Shakey's V-League
• Volleyball competitions in the Philippines
• National volleyball leagues
• 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