New community-based women’s volleyball league kicks off Sunday
A NEW league has dawned on the Philippine volleyball scene.
Eight pioneering women squads will slug it out in the inaugural Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) this Sunday at Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
Like its sister tournament — the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League — the MPVA founded by former senator and world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will have a home-and-away format to showcase the aspiring homegrown spikers and promote sports tourism of the country’s diverse regions.
Bacoor, Biñan, Caloocan, Marikina, Negros Oriental, Rizal, San Juan and Nasipit from Agusan Del Norte comprise the founding cast of the MPVA with Manila, Bulacan and Quezon City serving as prospective teams next season.
“This will be a fun community-based league featuring new and homegrown players” said MPVA Commissioner Mike Tavera during the opening presser on Wednesday at the Club Filipino in San Juan.
“We have a lot of volleyball talents not just in Metro Manila but all over the Philippines. There are a lot of outstanding players who do not have a platform. This is to showcase those talents not just here, but also all over the world,” added MPVA General Counsel Atty. Glen Gacal, joined by fellow counsel Atty. Victorina Calma and Operations Director Allen Reyes.
Aside from homegrown players, teams may also field collegiate bets, ex-professional cagers and Filipino-Foreign spikers to bolster their rosters as the upstart league attempts to cover another base from the ground up in Philippine volleyball.
Eight teams will figure in a single-round robin format for the elimination round before being split into two groups entering the playoffs, where the squads will duke it out once more to determine the final rankings for the quarterfinals.
Higher-ranked squads will sport twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals until the semifinals and finals, both under best-of-three formats. A total of 64 matches in 29 days for the MPVA Season will be played featuring two to three games on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Rizal will host the opening weekend of the MPVA with a clash against San Juan in the main game at 6 p.m. after the duel between Caloocan and the visiting Negros at 3:30 p.m. — John Bryan Ulanday
