F2 Logistics’ move to the Premier Volleyball League has numerous ramifications on the landscape of the sport.
Of course, it changed the game itself since finally, the country can boast that it has a true professional women’s volleyball league like men’s basketball. Moreover, it can help in national team-building as all the top players in the country are under one roof.
F2 Logistics skipper Aby Maraño knows all about this.
Primarily, the 28-year-old is just glad that she and her fellow Cargo Movers finally know where they will play after months of uncertainty.
“I don’t know if that’s the case, pero ang feeling is we are happy and excited to join PVL. This is really good for Philippine volleyball in general with all the teams in one league. Really, really excited. We are so thankful to the F2 management for not leaving us. Lahat kasi kinabahan na wala kaming lalaruan,” expressed the eight-time PSL Best Blocker during Thursday’s edition of The Game.
“Ngayon, happy Thursday everyone!”
More importantly for Maraño, who is part of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s athletes commission, the problem of plotting schedules for national team training will no longer be a problem.
Maraño is part of the last generation of players to experience playing in both the V-League and the PSL.
Who could ever forget the grind she, Rachel Daquis, and Dindin Santiago had in 2015 as they had to play for both Army in the PVL and Petron in the PSL. Though having a lot of games under their belt is good, the human body can only take so much.
A year later, the PSL implemented the one-league rule policy. Though in spirit, it protected the players and the teams, it also created one problem — scheduling.
The calendars of each league greatly differed, and it had an adverse effect on national team trainings. It made it hard for coaches like Francis Vicente and Shaq Delos Santos to host a practice with all the best players in it.
Now, with the best of the best under one league, the calendar can now be streamlined.
And so for the 5-foot-9 spiker out of Iloilo, things will only get better for Philippine volleyball.
“Well, malaking bagay siya dahil alam naman natin ‘yung impact nito sa Philippine volleyball.
“Isa sa mga challenge namin sa national team [ay] ‘yung schedule ng players. Nung dalawa pa ‘yung liga, nahirapan kami mag-schedule ng training kasi meron talagang nagsu-suffer. Kung magkakasama ‘yung magagaling na club teams sa isang liga, na-eelevate ‘yung competition pati skills ng players,” the former national team skipper opined.
