Alas Pilipinas stars barred from playing in the PVL during national team season

The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) clubs have been dealt a major blow by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), after it was confirmed by the relevant authorities that Alas Pilipinas players will not be allowed to play for their clubs while the national team season is ongoing.

According to the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) calendar, the national team period will run from May 15 to October 15, with Philippine women’s volleyball national team head coach Jorge Souza de Brito confirming the same to Spin.ph.

“All women’s national team players aren’t allowed to play during the WNT season,” De Brito said.

As it stands, the national team window includes the upcoming PVL On Tour preseason tournament, which runs across the country from June 22 to August 16. The current schedule also overlaps with the first few weeks of the PVL Reinforced and Invitational Conferences.

This means that, in addition to other top Philippine players, 2025 Rookie Draft top pick Bella Belen and returning legend Jia De Guzman (Creamline) will also not be able to play in the PVL for at least the next four months.

❗️CONFIRMED: 🇵🇭Alas Pilipinas players will skip PVL duties, including the PVL on Tour (June 22–August 16), during the national team window from May 15 to October 15. pic.twitter.com/6J8wCGNSMF

— Torey Canino 📊 (@tj_canino) June 19, 2025

Furthermore, Alas players can only rejoin their respective PVL clubs from October 16 to May 14. However, this brings another challenge: the 33rd Southeast Asian Games is scheduled during this window. That said, professional and collegiate teams are not required to send players for the SEA Games, as the competition does not fall under the FIVB or Asian Volleyball Confederation umbrella.

PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara acknowledged the challenges and confirmed that discussions with PVL authorities and club owners are forthcoming.

“I need to talk to the PVL and the clubs themselves because the SEA Games fall during the club season. If Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam adjust their club seasons, why can’t we? Hindi rason ‘yun na dahil may club season, hindi mag-adjust. It’s a matter of cooperation. You train maybe three times a week with the club, then twice with the national team—that’s good enough,” Suzara said.

Alas Pilipinas have a packed schedule ahead in 2025. The team will next prepare for the VTV International Women’s Volleyball Cup in Vietnam, followed by participation in the Southeast Asian Volleyball League.

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