POPULAR players from the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and Spikers’ Turf are set to deliver a premier showcase for the first volleyball All-Star Games in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, today, May 1.
The All-Star teams arrived in the city on April 29 for their exhibition matches at the Candon City Arena, a highly anticipated showcase of the best volleyball talents in the land from the men’s and women’s divisions.
In the PVL, Team Heart will be headlined by Creamline stars Jema Galanza and Jia de Guzman, while Team Hustle features Choco Mucho’s Eya Laure and Akari’s Fifi Sharma.
The Spikers’ Turf, on the other hand, is divided into two squads: Team Power, featuring Jude Garcia, Noel Kampton, and Adrian Villados; and Team Passion, led by Jay Umandal, Mark Calado, and Vince Imperial.
Philippine volleyball icon Alyssa Valdez, a reserve player for Team Heart, expressed her excitement for the upcoming games.
“I am looking forward to being with teammates from other PVL volleyball teams and enjoying it with other volleyball players. But one of the things that I really look forward to is to let the fans enjoy and make sure that they will really enjoy the time with us,” Valdez said.
Since this is PVL’s first time to hold an All-Star event at the professional level, Valdez said that she looks forward to teaming up with 2026 All-Filipino Conference Most Valuable Player (MVP) Vanie Gandler and Rookie of the Conference Bella Belen.
“They’ve got this. I think it’s my first time playing with Bella and Vanie, if I’m not mistaken, so it’s just so nice to finally be teammates with the players that the youth idolize today. I really want to see how they actually prepare for a game and things like that,” she said.
“Of course, those are the little things I want to observe because I feel like I’ll also be inspired by them,” she added.
A grand welcome greeted the All-Star teams on Wednesday night as the city of Candon hosted a dinner punctuated by a dazzling drone show and fireworks display.
On Thursday, both men’s and women’s teams went to Candon City Eco Park for tree planting activity and to, among others, milk cows.
Three-time MVP Brooke Van Sickle of Team Hustle was glad to be in her home province as her mother, Liza, hails from San Emilio, Ilocos Sur, 45 minutes away from Candon City.
“It’s nice to be here. This is my second visit here in Ilocos Sur and it’s nice since we were able to do extracurricular activities before the games, and see more of what it’s like in Candon, and get in touch more. My family will also come and watch the games,” Van Sickle said.
The men’s games begin at 2 p.m., while the women’s games begin at 6 p.m.