Philippine volleyball is rediscovering its glory and reigniting its spark with expert coaching, inspiring a nation’s passion as it sets its sights on the global stage.
Volleyball in the Philippines is a passion that brings people together, fills arenas and inspires dreams. Volleyball has been a part of Filipino life for years. But while the sport is loved across the country, reaching success on the world stage has been a challenge. Now, with the support of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment and experienced coaches, the Philippines is finding its way back and aiming higher than ever before.
Volleyball holds a special place in the hearts of Filipinos, with the sport thriving across collegiate and club leagues.
Packed stadium for the match of Team Philippines.
“The scene is rather vibrant, particularly in the university and collegiate sector where there is, instantly, a captive audience within the student body and the academe,” said Donaldo Caringal, Secretary General of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).
The energy from academic institutions has been matched by the rise of club leagues, particularly for women’s teams, which have garnered massive support from fans nationwide.
“Several club leagues have also established their presence, amassing huge spectatorship primarily for the women’s teams,” Caringal shared.
Despite the sport’s widespread appeal, building a unified and consistent national programme has been a challenge. With university and club leagues operating on independent schedules, aligning training periods for the national teams has often proven difficult.
“The commercial success of both university and club leagues brought vibrancy to the sport but also posed challenges to formulating and implementing a consistent national training programme,” Caringal explained.
This fragmentation meant players struggled to fully commit to national call-ups, a situation that also affected beach volleyball.
“For beach volleyball players, the allure of pursuing a club volleyball career sometimes impacted their momentum on the sand courts,” he added.
The volleyball and beach volleyball teams are called ‘Alas Pilipinas’ – Alas is a Filipino word for volleyball term ‘Ace’.
Still, the Filipinos’ love for volleyball has never wavered. This passion has laid a strong foundation for growth, which the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme is using to guide the national teams forward. With strategic support and experienced…
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