Acting Vice Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros (second from left) is joined by tournament officials in Jordan Paca, Blake Diao, and Jessie Yungco during the ‘DH25 Men’s Open Volleyball Tournament’ press conference. | By Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The inaugural DH25 Men’s Open Volleyball Tournament, organized by Acting Vice Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros, has secured its venue for this weekend’s highly anticipated event.
The tournament will take place at the University of Cebu – Maritime Education and Training Center (UC-METC) in Barangay Mambaling.
Tournament manager Blake Diao announced on Thursday, September 12, that UC-METC was chosen for its ability to host two matches simultaneously, ensuring that all 20 participating teams can compete within the standard best-of-three sets format.
This decision follows the initial venue, the University of San Carlos (USC) Downtown Campus gymnasium, being deemed insufficient to accommodate the tournament’s requirements, as it could only host one match at a time and required the use of a running score format.
Originally scheduled for three days, the tournament will now be condensed into a two-day event, running from September 14 to 15.
The first day will feature 20 matches divided into four brackets, with the top two teams from each bracket advancing to the playoffs.
Bracket A includes Governor’s Cup champions Naga Atong Garbo, former CESAFI champions CIT-U Wildcats, WFW Bankers, Endrablos, and Lowkey Cebu.
Bracket B sees CESAFI defending champions USJ-R Jaguars compete against Khalifa, Dacarys, UCLM, Amigos, and Don Paolo.
Bracket C features the USC Warriors, UC Valyrians, Oras Punto Diagnostics, Assassins, and Safelinx Allstars.
Bracket D comprises the UP Cebu Fighting Maroons, San Fernando Volitans, UC Baby Webmasters, Ribshack, and DPWH Regional Office 7.
The tournament offers significant prizes, with the champion earning PHP 50,000, the second runner-up receiving PHP 15,000, and the third and fourth places awarded PHP 10,000 and PHP 5,000, respectively.
The opening matches will feature Oras Punto Diagnostics vs. Safelinx All-Stars in Bracket C, and Ribshack vs. UC Baby Webmasters in Bracket D, starting at 8 a.m. on September 14.