Bigger, better PVL gets under way

After a very successful season, the Premier Volleyball League is looking to bring its exciting brand of action closer to fans outside of Metro Manila.

Following a successful second season as the country's first and only women's professional volleyball league, the PVL is set to stage more out-of-town games come 2023.

"We are actually working on that, especially with more relaxed Covid-19 protocols. We're looking at having more games outside Manila," PVL organizing Sports Vision president Ricky Palou told Daily Tribune on Tuesday.

The league is currently in talks with promoters from the Visayas and Mindanao.

"We're looking at Iloilo, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. For Davao, we're still looking for partners who are willing to promote our games," Palou said.

"But for the other three provinces, we're just coordinating with them the schedules."

The PVL staged games in Antipolo and Sta. Rosa, Laguna as alternate venues during the Open, Invitational and Reinforced conferences, drawing large crowds that rival the gate attendance of matches held in Metro Manila.

Creamline ruled the Open and Invitational Conferences while Petro Gazz reigned supreme in the season-ending tourney.

Cool Smashers ace hitter Tots Carlos emerged as Most Valuable Player of the Open and Invitational Conferences while Chery Tiggo opposite Mylene Paat was named as queen of the Reinforced Conference.

Meanwhile, Palou also bared of a possible expansion with two possible clubs joining the PVL next year.

"There are questions and inquiries about what it will take for them to join. I told them we don't have an entry fee. So, if you have a good team and you are committed to staying in the league for the long run you are welcome," Palou said.

He, however, did not elaborate on this pending the clubs' official announcements.

"I'm not at liberty to give specifics. There are actually two but I'm not at liberty to divulge the names because we want it to come from them, not from us," he added.

If talks of additional clubs push through, it will increase the number of participating teams to 11.

The PVL currently has nine active clubs led by reigning Open and Invitational conferences champion Creamline, defending Reinforced Conference titlist Petro Gazz, Cignal, PLDT, Chery Tiggo, Choco Mucho, F2 Logistics, UAI-Army and Akari.

Kicking off the league's third season is the Open Conference tentatively scheduled to begin 4 February 2023.