Two foreign teams bring their act to the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), eager and ready to slug it out with the best of local talents in the Invitationals when it fires off on 2 July.,But Kobe Shinwa University of Japan and Taipei King Whales of Taiwan will only get to see action in the semifinals starting 29 August together with seven other local teams who will compete in the single-round eliminations.,Open Conference champion Creamline banners the field together with runner-up Petro Gazz as well as Chery Tiggo, Cignal, Choco Mucho, Army Black Mamba and PLDT.,F2 Logistics and BaliPure begged off from seeing action in the mid-season offering of the country’s premier professional league organized by Sports Vision.,But the seven local squads and the two visiting teams will be more than enough to stir up play and generate interest in the coming conference.,Play in the eliminations will have the local teams play a single round with the top four advancing to the next round where the Japan and Taiwan squads will launch their respective bids in another single round format.,All squads will be ranked using the FIVB Ranking System with the top four moving to the next phase.,“It is our continuing commitment to raise the level of local volleyball and the presence of the Japan and Taiwan squads will surely help toughen up the competition and improve the quality of play,” Sports Vision president Ricky Palou said.,The league, meanwhile, will take a break in the middle of the semis from 11 July to 20 August to give way for the national women’s team’s training in preparation for the AVC (Asian Women’s Volleyball Cup) 2022 from 21 to 28 August.,The local teams will first play among each other in the semis before the break with matches to resume on 29 August with the foreign teams testing the local squads’ mettle.