IN its fourth season as a pro league, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) has taken innovative strides to elevate the competition in a continuously expanding playing field.
With 12 teams onboard, the PVL held its inaugural rookie draft and welcomed guest imports back to the fray in the first Reinforced Conference in two years as fitting follow-ups to record attendance numbers in the season-opening All-Filipino Conference.
READ: Capital1 import blunt on PH volleyball: 'Not that high quality'
And one who began her PVL career earlier this year in the midst of the league's unprecedented period of growth is no less than reigning MVP Brooke Van Sickle.
The 26-year-old Fil-American hotshot took the league by storm in her Philippine volleyball debut with an unrivaled 293-point output all conference long for Petro Gazz built on 242 attacks, 29 blocks, and 22 aces.
And after a surprise straight-sets drubbing at the hands of erstwhile cellar-dwelling Capital1, Van Sickle already has all the proof needed that the competition - and the league in its entirety - is very much on the rise.
Exciting times, simply put, are in order for the PVL.
“Every single conference as it’s going on, it’s already getting significantly better and better. It’s really cool to be able to see this draft implemented. It’s just an exciting thing just to see how the future of PVL’s gonna be,” Van Sickle said.
“Maybe this year, maybe in a couple of years, I don’t know when, but then it’s gonna be just so competitive and a hard playing field just to make volleyball really exciting.”
PVL: What a wonderful (league)
Heated as the action and competition might be on the court, one thing about the PVL that Van Sickle is pleased with is the warmth and family feels from just about everybody.
“It’s a wonderful league. Everyone’s super amazing, too. Everyone’s tough, like stars and everything, but hey, they’re all great people. I’m just super happy to be able to come back for another conference and just to get to know more people and make more friends and everything," she said.
Even better, to have such an opportunity to bring her talents home has been nothing short of a priceless experience just seven months in.
“Being able to play in the Philippines is amazing. It’s like nothing else I’ve imagined of an experience," she said.
Van Sickle added: “Just to be able to have this opportunity is super surreal. I’m super grateful to be able to even have this chance of being able to play here.“
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