Pro Volleyball League, Anyone?

I haven't written in  a loooooong while. Shame on myself. :/

Kudos to the UST volleyball teams for winning the Men's and Women's UAAP Volleyball Finals. Year of the Tiger, indeed! Expect them to carry the winning streak to the Basketball and Cheerleading competitions.

I'm amazed at how collegiate volleyball has evolved from a simple undercard event to basketball games to a spectator sport of its own. The sport has increasingly grown in popularity, so much that the UAAP and NCAA volleyball games have earned a big chunk of airtime (thanks to ABS-CBN Sports). The bi-annual Shalkey's V-League, played during the offseason, has also introduced volleyball to the masses. While volleyball is yet to round up a capacity crowd the size of Araneta Coliseum, I can't help but be convinced that a professional volleyball league should be established in a few years.

Because of the growing fan base, a pro volleyball league would create loads of revenue and profit to the league's organizers and sponsors. I'm not gonna name drop, but there are a loooooooot of volleyball players out there who could single-handedly gather in a fan base of 100 people. Well, fine, Daquis and Tabaquero and Denise Tan can account to an army's worth of people. Other second-tier and upstart stars can significantly add to that. :D More importantly, however, a pro league would allow collegiate and amateur volleyball stars to continue their craft. Because collegiate tournaments put a limit to an athlete's playing years, the potential of these athletes are stunted once they graduate college. A pro league would help them translate to a higher level of play, if they indeed wish to pursue a career in the sport. It also dissociates athletes from their collegiate teams and lets them stamp their own identities through their on-court skill and personality.

On a selfish, fan-level point of view, I want to be able to enjoy more match-ups and see my favorite players in one team. In a pro volleyball league, collegiate team associations are out the window. It's about drafting the winning set of players, regardless of where they come from. A preliminary draft will be able to balance the power among all participating teams, thus making the teams more competitive. This leads to more exciting matches that are sure to drive in the crowds. Imagine Maizo and Tabaquero against each other. Or Gervasio and Cainglet on opposite sides of the court. With a pro league, fans may not be too discriminating in the matches they watch. (Admit it, nobody watches UE or NU games anymore. It's just not worth it. :/) Because all teams are practically on equal footing, fans are sure to get exciting matches on any given Sunday.

A pro league is a dream come true, for volleyball fans and athletes alike. I believe that it would further propel the sport's popularity and promote appreciation for another growing Filipino sport. While there are still loads of work to be done, I do not doubt the possibility of a professional league for volleyball.

It just has to happen.

And, it will.

For now, let's make do with V-League. Summer conference starts in a few weeks.