Zamboanga City: Zamboanga City survived a tough match against Lingayen with scores of 16-25, 25-20, 23-25, 30-28, 15-7 on Wednesday in Group A of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Under-21 Championship National men’s division at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The team displayed resilience after dropping the first and third sets, ultimately claiming victory in the decisive fifth set.

According to Philippines News Agency, Zamboanga City is set to face One Silay, which managed to secure a win with scores of 25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 32-30 against Volleyball Never Stop (VNS) Club. This anticipated matchup is scheduled for Thursday. Meanwhile, Umingan Volleyball Club (UVC), Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU), City of Naga-Cebu Volleyball Club (CNV), and University of East (UE) are all competing in Group B. The event receives support from sponsors including Akari, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and several others.

PNVF head Ramon “Tats” Suzara emphasized the significance of the Under-21 championship, highlighting its role in the national team program aimed at nurturing talent for international competitions. The tournament’s preliminary rounds will proceed on Friday, with the semifinals and finals slated for Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Apart from the Under-21 championship, the PNVF calendar includes the National Beach Volleyball Championships in February and the Second AVC Beach Tour-Nuvali Open in April, both to be held at the Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa City. Additionally, Nuvali will host the FIVB World Beach Pro Tour Futures. The country is also preparing to host the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship for the first time, set to take place from September 12 to 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and SM Mall of Asia Arena.