Prime Volleyball League 2026: Olympic medallist Hernan Federico Pereyra headlines star-studded PVL Season 5
Teams can sign three overseas players for the first time
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Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Hernán Federico Pereyra and three other Olympians headline the international line-up for Prime Volleyball League Season 5, which will be held in Ahmedabad from November 30 to December 23.
The 29 international players represent countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa, adding global experience and depth to the competition.
Recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) as India’s first division professional volleyball league, PVL will take another significant step in its evolution this season by introducing up to three international players per team for the first time.
This move aims to build a stronger competitive landscape, raise the standard of the league and provide Indian players with greater opportunities to compete alongside international talent.
Pereyra, an Argentine universal who won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and also competed at London 2012, will represent the Telugu Black Hawks alongside Dominican Republic attacker Hector Alexis Cruz Cepin and Brazilian attacker Henrique Ferreira Meireles Guimaraes.
The Calicut Heroes feature Canadian Olympians Steven James Douglas Marshall, who competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and setter Brett James Walsh, who represented Canada at Paris 2024. Cuban universal Brayan Francisco Valle García completes their international contingent.
Egyptian universal & Captain of the Egypt national volleyball team, Reda Ibrahim Abdelnaby Afifi Haikal, who competed at Paris 2024 Olympics, will represent the Goa Guardians alongside Japanese middle blocker Shunichiro Sato and American attacker Nathaniel John Dickinson.
The Bengaluru Torpedoes have retained American setter Matthew A. West, who was part of their Season 4 title-winning campaign, and added American universal Brandon Michael Rattray and brought back Australian attacker Thomas Alan Heptinstall.
The Ahmedabad Defenders feature Iranian middle blocker Mehdi Jafaryan Vameh Del, and Indonesian attackers Luvi Febrian Nugraha & Fahri Septian Putratama.
The Chennai Blitz have added French middle blocker Tanguy Vianney Dijoud, Colombian middle blocker Leandro Jose Mejia Ararat and attacker Zhantemir Zheenbek Uulu from Kyrgyz Republic, while the Delhi Toofans will feature Colombian universal Willian Alejandro Bermudez Narvaez, Australian middle blocker James Mctavish Weir and Senegalese attacker Amadou Laye Samb.
Related: Prime Volleyball League 2026 to kick-off in Ahmedabad on November 30
The Kochi Blue Spikers will be represented by Serbian setter Marko Kostovic and German universal Christoph Marks. The Kolkata Thunderbolts have Finnish universal Samuli Ville Mikael Kaistasalo, Norwegian attacker Lars Kristian Ekeland and Polish middle blocker Krzysztof Rejno in their line-up.
Norwegian middle blocker Petter Alstad Østvik and Latvian attacker Atvars Ozolins complete the international roster for the Mumbai Meteors.
Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO, Prime Volleyball League, said, “Bringing players of this calibre to Season 5 reflects the progress the league has made in building a competitive platform for volleyball in India.
“With PVL now recognised by the FIVB, introducing three international players per team for the first time is another important step in our journey to strengthen the competition.
“Having Olympic medallists, Olympians and experienced international professionals competing alongside Indian players will raise the standard of competition and provide our domestic talent with valuable exposure.
“We are looking forward to an exciting season in Ahmedabad and continuing to grow the sport across the country.”
With Olympic medallists, Olympians and professionals from established volleyball leagues joining the competition, Season 5 will further strengthen the league’s international profile while providing Indian players with opportunities to compete against some of the sport’s finest talent.
Prime Volleyball League Season 5 will commence on November 30 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.
Where and when will Season 5 of Prime Volleyball League 2026 take place?
The 2026 edition will be played at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad from November 30 to December 23.
How many international players will be in action in Prime Volleyball League 2026?
As many as 29 international players representing countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa will be in action.
Who are the most popular international players in season 5 of Prime Volleyball League?
Hernan Federico Pereyra (Argentina), Steven James Douglas Marshall (Canada), Brett James Walsh (Canada), Reda Ibrahim Abdelnaby Afifi Haikal (Egypt) are some of the popular stars who will be in action. All four are former Olympians.
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