WITH WELL-ESTABLISHED collegiate and professional leagues, all coupled with an seemingly undying fanbase, women’s volleyball continues to make waves as one of the most followed sports in the country. The magnetic personalities of coaches and players, the competitive playing field, and even the marketing of the sport and teams have all contributed to its present colossal following.

Humble beginnings

Making its local debut in 1910, volleyball was like most sports in that it had to find its footing before developing competitions. With the eventual University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) inauguration in 1938, volleyball was among the few sports able to begin a tournament for women in the collegiate ranks. Its inclusion immediately sparked support from fans and athletes alike once it was put into effect. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) followed suit in 1964. However, it would take 11 seasons before it would include a women’s division in the fold.

The sport’s rapid surge in popularity brought by the UAAP and the NCAA prompted the industry to establish better avenues for the country’s best talents to display their abilities. The Shakey’s V League (SVL) was the first league that catered to the growing demand for the sport in 2004. This league was then recognized for gathering the top players of the collegiate ranks to assemble highly competitive matches that were more entertaining to watch.

In 2011, SVL invited non-school teams including corporately-owned squads into the mix in order to heighten the competitiveness of the tournament. The event later transitioned into the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), which improved on the league’s composition. One of the moves was a name change, which helped involve more companies to start joining the league.

Most recently, the biggest change to the PVL has been its shift to a completely company-based platform in 2020. The collegiate teams from the UAAP and the NCAA were transferred to the Shakey’s Super League to make for more parity in both events.

Monumental shift

With volleyball now shifted to an entertainment spectacle, its rise to popularity can actually be owed a lot to UAAP and its fair share of historic teams. From multiple three-peat champions De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, to current title holders National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, the league has been graced with countless generational talents. The world of volleyball has also seen a lot of iconic names from the program of the Blue and White.

The early days of the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament saw the Blue Eagles struggling to raise their banner as volleyball champions. Other teams were already established by the time Ateneo was introduced to the league, and the Katipunan-based school could not keep up with the rest of the pack. However, things would change in UAAP Season 71.

With the arrival of Gretchen Ho, Fille Cainglet-Cayetano, Dzi Gervacio, Jem Ferrer, and Aillysse Nacachi—collectively known as the Fabulous Five—hopes of a new age in Ateneo volleyball gained remarkable traction.

The popularity of the Fabulous Five propelled the previously overlooked Ateneo team into the radar of other universities. Schools started to respect whatever was brewing up in Loyola Heights, especially with how the Blue Eagles raised the competition level in the following seasons, which brought fresh recognition to the sport. Despite exiting the UAAP without a championship, the influence these girls had laid the foundation for what indeed was a new and exciting era in volleyball’s collegiate scene.

This momentum only continued with the emergence of an Ateneo legend. At a time when DLSU’s reign as champions looked unbreakable, a 5’9” prodigy hailing from San Juan, Batangas stood tall against the dynasty in Taft.

Alyssa Valdez made her debut in the Fabulous Five’s penultimate season in the UAAP, but her moment as Queen Eagle would not come until Season 76—two seasons after her inclusion into the team. Having won the Most Valuable Player award, Valdez steered Ateneo into a Cinderella run that dethroned the mighty DLSU as UAAP champions. In the following season, Valdez once again led the Blue Eagles, this time to a perfect 14-0 eliminations round standing that ended in back-to-back championship titles for Ateneo. The second title not only cemented Valdez’ legacy in Philippine collegiate sports, but also signified the final push that volleyball needed to cement itself as a celebrated and revered sport in the country.

The eras of the Fabulous Five and the legendary Valdez in Ateneo marked an exciting time for volleyball on both the collegiate and national levels. They introduced brand new fans to the sport and turned games into events that drew record-breaking crowd attendance. While their rise was as quick as a libero’s first contact, their impact on the now-beloved sport felt like a well-timed spike from a perfectly-positioned set.

The new era

This surge in popularity and impact of volleyball can be linked to a variety of factors, one of which is the improved level of play, due in large part to the notable progression of the players. Enhancing their on-court action led to more entertaining matchups and more competitive atmospheres as the parity between squads started to grow.

Another factor in the sport’s expanding popularity is the growth of social media, which has opened a sandbox for fans to discuss or even debate about the game they love. It is with the likes of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that help garner the engagement that the sport has become accustomed to at the moment.

While skill and talent play an enormous role in making volleyball what it is today, this is far from the only reason why fans are so enamored with the sport to begin with. The players’ offcourt personas have captured the fans’ hearts, too. These include love teams like the ongoing relationship between F2 Logistics’ Ivy Lacsina and Choco Mucho’s Deanna Wong. These also include players simply being good people, like Choco Mucho’s Bea De Leon’s scholarship grant.

From other fan favorites like Kianna Dy to Cherry Rondina, different universities are able to showcase likable personalities that have the influence to bring in packs of people to support their squads. The professional leagues are no stranger to the hype as well, as notable college stars that head to the PVL carry their fans along with them. With jam-packed crowds during rivalry games and quirky broadcast segments to help boost engagement, there is no doubt that fans are alive and well in both the college and professional tournaments.

With all of these factors that have come into play, it is becoming clear that the sport is coming into its own and is on the right track to doing bigger things in the industry. Women’s volleyball has positioned itself not only as a source of profit for the sport, but it has also proven itself as an avenue where women’s talents can be celebrated.

As the country’s most famous women’s sport, its platform to inspire the next generation of female athletes is as high as it’s ever been. With this, the different volleyball leagues have become a beacon of where the sports department’s standards should be at, by continuing to revolutionize every aspect of sports from media coverage to player personalities. With so much the sport has to offer, its vibrant atmosphere will continue to bring in more people to the world of sports entertainment, may it be on and off the volleyball court.