VOLLEYBALL has been more than just a sport, a skill, and a career for some of the PVL's brightest stars.
The game itself became an opportunity for these athletes to change the courses of their lives — and their famillies, too — for good.
While professional volleyball has been a stable source of sustenance, it has also allowed these players to discover and live their life's purpose as athletes, competitors, and dreamers.
In the spirit of love month, SPIN.ph asked 10 of the league's top aces to either craft love letters to the sport or share some personal reflections and anecdotes on how volleyball, being their forever valentine, made them who they are today.
ALYSSA VALDEZ (Creamline)
Definitely even in sports, merong ups and downs. May mga challenging moments, but at the end of the day, du’n ka pagtitibayin, du’n ka maraming matututunan. I probably experienced a lot in volleyball — wins, losses, failures.
In the end, I just really love the sport and that’s why I’m still here, recovering and looking for ways to still learn more about volleyball.
JEMA GALANZA (Creamline)
Dear volleyball, thank you kasi nagpakilala ka sa’kin. Hindi ako makakapunta dito kung wala ‘yung volleyball. Sobrang dami kong natututunan sa’yo.
Tinuruan mo 'kong tumayo ulit nu’ng babang-baba ako. Tinuruan mo 'kong mag-grow. Thank you kasi binigyan mo 'ko ng friends, ng family na sumusuporta talaga and nagga-guide talaga sa’kin kapag kailangan ko sila.
Thank you sa volleyball dahil may mga na-meet din ako na mga tao na ‘di ko ine-expect na makikilala ko. Siyempre, ‘yung mga idols ko na nakilala ko, thank you sa volleyball. Thank you rin sa volleyball dahil nakapunta ako sa iba-ibang bansa dahil sa’yo. Thank you sa volleyball dahil marami akong pangarap na natupad.
Maraming, maraming salamat sa'yo and sana marami ka pang magawa for me at maging happy na ako ulit.
SISI RONDINA (Choco Mucho)
Maraming, maraming salamat. Ang dami mong pangarap na naitawid, hindi lang sa’kin, pero lahat kaming mga naglalaro ng volleyball.
Thank you rin kasi isa ka sa mga bumuo ng pamilya ko. Marami kang natulungang pangarap kagaya ng mga kapatid ko kaya thank you and sana mahaba-haba pa ‘yung pagsasama natin.
BEA DE LEON (Creamline)
Dear volleyball, thank you so much kasi you’ve honed me to be the person I am today. Through the wins and the losses, marami akong natutunan.
I’m very thankful because it didn’t teach me to just play, but it taught me a lot about life. A lot of growth, a lot of ups and downs, pero through it all, I found joy in the journey and found hope in every step of the way.
Most of all, I think it brought me closer to God and I’m really, really thankful for that.
MIKA REYES (PLDT)
Dear volleyball, thank you sa lahat ng opportunities na binibigay mo sa’ming mga players. Hopefully, magtagal pa ‘yung liga na ‘to sa Pilipinas para mas marami ka pang mapasaya na mga upcoming and young players in the future.
MYLA PABLO (Petro Gazz)
Love na lang (in general) for my dad naman. ‘Yung love na ‘yun (for volleyball) is para rin sa dad ko. He passed away. Siya ‘yung number one fan ko. Until now pa rin talaga, nandun pa rin ‘yung motivation ko para sa kanya.
Bawat laro ko, para sa kanya ‘yun. Kaya minsan, I pray na ‘Pa, daddy, para sa’yo ‘yung game na ‘to.’ Iniisip ko na kahit wala siya, I feel na nandito siya sa heart ko na tinutulungan pa rin niya ko. Nag-iimagine ako na nanonood pa rin siya talaga.
IVY LACSINA (Akari)
Dear volleyball, sobrang grateful, thankful, blessed ko dahil dumating ka. Siyempre, hindi ako mapapagod na magtrabaho for you. Mahal na mahal ko ‘yung volleyball.
BROOKE VAN SICKLE (Petro Gazz)
Hello! Volleyball’s like the love of my life. I know it sounds so weird, but I’m being so for real. I’ve been playing volleyball for almost 20 years. It’s a lifetime, well not yet a lifetime partner, but I hope it would be.
It’s definitely been the love of my life for me in so many different ways. It gave me so many experiences. I was able to go to school, get my degree to go to college because of volleyball. I feel like it’s just like a really awesome sport because it gave me a lot of opportunities. I get to be able to come here. Even my brief stint when I went to Cyprus, it was still really cool to get that experience.
Not to mention like just getting to meet all the girls. It’s just a lot of character development. I feel like just all the friends that I made through volleyball, they’re so special to me, all of my closest friends. I do have friends outside volleyball, but like I would say volleyball was where I met all of my best friends. I still talk to them even if it’s been plus 10 years.
I’m telling you, it’s the love of my life. I really don’t know how I’d be without it.
SAVI DAVISON (PLDT)
I’d honestly just say thank you for being the love of my life so far. I’m just giving back whatever I put in and it’s very reciprocated. I’m very blessed.
ROMA DOROMAL (Capital1)
Thank you so much because I wouldn’t be here if it’s not because of you. Hindi ako makakapunta sa dream school ko and achieve this (experience playing in the) pro league kung hindi dahil sa volleyball.
Also through volleyball, marami akong na-meet na magagaling na coaches and magagaling na teammates. It humbles me and it pushes me na maging better each and every day.
Through sports din, sa volleyball, may mga lessons din na hindi kayang ituro sa simple life lang. ‘Yung volleyball talaga, na-mold ako to be a better person inside and outside the court.
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