[EXCLUSIVE] The Philippine volleyball landscape is set to welcome a new competitive platform as the Next Level Cup 2026 prepares for its inaugural staging from June 10 to 13, 2026 in Metro Manila.
Organized by Next Level VolleyCamp, the tournament aims to bring together rising youth prospects and established club teams in a four-day showcase of high-level volleyball.
It will feature two divisions: the Men’s Club category and the Women’s Under-18 (U18) division.
Matches will be held across two key venues in the capital region, Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City and Paco Arena in Manila.
According to the Program Director and Coach Dexter Clamor in an exclusive interview with DZRHTV, the tournament was designed to highlight both club and youth competition under one event. He explained that the Men’s Club division will feature a mix of university-based teams and independent club squads.
“Meron tayong dalawang catergories, we have men's cub division and under 18 girls division. Magandang tournament ito kasi yung sa men's club division, [may mga] university at may mga club team na kasali,” said Clamor.
For the U18 division, Clamor emphasized that the tournament will serve as an extension of the Next Level VolleyCamp program, where many of the participating athletes have trained.
He also noted that several UAAP teams will be joining the competition, raising the level of play and giving young athletes the opportunity to test themselves against some of the country’s best in their age group.
“For the under 18 naman, ito yung mga camper namin sa next level volleycamp na magjo-join and meron ding mga UAAP team na kasali sa tournament. I'm sure lahat ng mga player ay excited to compete with the one of the best players also dito sa Manila.”
As the tournament draws near, preparations among participating teams have intensified. Clamor shared that training sessions have been ramped up beyond regular camp routines in anticipation of the level of competition expected next week. He stressed that the additional work is necessary, given the quality of teams that will be competing in the inaugural edition.
“Ngayon nagte-training kami, may mga extra tarining kami bukod sa camp namin aksi alam namin an hindi magiging madali ang laban namin for next week,” the coach explained.
