PVL opening reset to June or July

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino fans itching for volleyball action may wait for another month.

The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) has moved its professional season debut from May to late June or early July to give its teams more time to prepare for the hotly-anticipated but much-delayed conference to be played at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

“We decided to do this to give ample time for the teams to train as the training was disrupted when government agencies agreed to place the NCR (National Capital Region), Laguna, Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan under ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) and MECG (Modified ECQ),” said PVL president Ricky Palou.

The strict quarantine status, which will last until the end of this month, prevents all 12 teams from doing practice sessions inside the affected areas.

That is the reason teams now have started to plan holding bubble training outside MECQ areas.

The league was initially scheduled to stage its new season this month and was moved to May 8 and then late in the month before eventually deciding to reset it again for another month.

It was to the disappointment of rabid fans, who are looking forward to what it has deemed as the strongest PVL season in history since it included teams from the Philippine Superliga (PSL).

F2 Logistics, PLDT Fibr, Cignal, Sta. Lucia and Chery Tiggo have jumped ship to the PVL to join holdovers Creamline, Perlas Spikers, Petro Gazz, Bali Pure, Choco Mucho, Unlimited Athletes Club and guest squad Army.