It started as a whisper of promise, an idea carried by a game that has found its home in the hearts of Filipinos. In the hands of a visionary, that promise grew louder, clearer and stronger.

Today, what began as a modest effort to give young girls a platform to play has turned into a movement that spans regions, rivals leagues, and redefines grassroots development in Philippine volleyball.

At the center of this surge is Dr. Adrian Paolo Laurel — the man behind Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc. and the one who helped turn the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) into a crucial part of the country’s grassroots volleyball landscape.

Grassroots volleyball was never going to improve on its own. Despite the talent in schools and barangay courts, opportunities were limited.

For years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) dominated the spotlight while many other schools stayed in the background.

But Laurel, a former volleyball player at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), identified a gap — and more importantly, he saw a way to fill it.

When the first whistle blew for SGVIL in 2023, it was not just another tournament. It aimed to give life to dreams, structure to potential, and visibility to programs that long deserved a stage.

“So, of course, when we were planning, we wanted to make sure that in all of our three conferences, we had a little extra,” Laurel said in the latest episode of “Off the Court,” the weekly online sports show of DAILY TRIBUNE.

Inclusivity

The SGVIL was not created to be a one-time event. It was designed to be sustainable, progressive and scalable. In its first year, SGVIL included 16 teams. The next conference saw that number rise to 18.

This year, it surged to 30 teams, demonstrating not just demand for a platform for grassroots volleyball, but trust among coaches, school officials and other stakeholders.

“And like what you said, the SGVIL was no exception. This year, we had 30 teams, up from 16 in the first and 18 in the second, with the biggest jump to 30 teams this year,” Laurel said.

“Not only that, we now have two divisions.”

The addition of Division 2 is perhaps the most significant move the league has made since it started. It wasn’t enough to showcase the top schools. SGVIL wanted to be inclusive.

By creating Division 2, the league provided a solid platform for lesser-known schools, emerging programs, and small communities with big dreams. It became more than just a league; it turned into a space for hope and a valley of dreams of young volleyball players.

“So, we have Division 1 and Division 2. I hope the encouragement that we got this year will grow even more for 2026,” he said, stressing that a provincial school in Bacolod Tay Tung pushed UAAP powerhouse National University to the limit before suffering a 25-27, 25-16, 25-21, 28-30, 13-15 loss in the final of their recent SGVIL conference.

Love for volleyball

There’s a good reason why Laurel is working hard for the development of Philippine volleyball.

In fact, he used to be the star playmaker of the Growling Tigers, leading them to the UAAP crown in 1992 and a 14-0 sweep in 1995 in which he emerged as Most Valuable Player.

But with no commercial volleyball leagues back then, Laurel shifted his focus to studies until he earned a nursing degree. Eventually, he took up medicine that became his ticket to land on the Top 16 of the physician licensure examination.

Despite becoming one of the country’s top dermatologists, Laurel still found his way back to volleyball.

He joined the Shakey’s V-League as a courtside reporter until becoming a commentator and analyst. That stint opened his eyes on the things that Philippine volleyball still lacks.

“And then as I was doing it, it opened my eyes more about what’s lacking that time. That is, after college players have no other leagues to compete in,” Laurel said.

“That time, the Shakey’s V-League only had college teams as participants with just some additions outside their college lineup.”

In 2013, he teamed up with former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip Ella Juico to form the Philippine Superliga (PSL) — a commercial women’s volleyball league.

It started with just six teams until becoming an instant hit with the presence of high-profile players, quality imports, out-of-town matches and various kinds of marketing initiatives.

But Covid pandemic ended that run. The PSL failed to sustain its momentum until it folded up at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

“It was a great run,” said Laurel, recalling the success of the defunct PSL where teams like Petron, Cignal, F2 Logistics and Foton were lording over.

“Although the pandemic put an end to the PSL as we couldn’t afford to turn professional at that time, it still taught us a lot of lessons about Philippine volleyball. It opened our eyes about the gaps that we need to fill in and how we can do it. We realized that there are still a lot of players, especially at the grassroot level, who need a platform to play in.”

Different hats

Laurel admitted that it’s not easy wearing different hats as a volleyball executive and a practicing doctor.

But his love, passion and dedication to volleyball keep him going.

“I make sure to find time due to my passion and dedication. It’s all about trying to find a healthy balance between my medical profession and my passion, which is volleyball” said Laurel, who is also an avid golfer.

He regularly plays either at the Manila Southwoods or Eagleridge and chairs the UST Rector’s Cup, the annual golf tournament among UST alumni that aims to raise funds for the school’s athletic program.

“After playing volleyball I picked up golf right away. I like the sport (golf) and I’m passionate about the sport because it’s very challenging.”

“There are good days and there are bad days but it’s how you react to those bad shots. How to recover and if you have good shots, it’s how you’ll use it to your advantage to finish with a good card.”

True enough, Laurel has done a lot for Philippine volleyball.

Although he doesn’t shout from the sidelines or seek the spotlight, his influence is still felt in every whistle, every net put up, every schedule set, and every team that enters the gym doors hoping for a chance.

This is what growth looks like. It’s messy, extensive, inclusive and beautiful all at once.

For the young girls who are dreaming of becoming professional volleyball players, there’s no need to worry because the doctor is always in.