CHICAGO - The vigil continued last night for fans who are eager to know the direction two of the biggest names in Philippine women's collegiate volleyball are heading.
But as Thursday wearily surrendered to Friday, nothing happened, and the anticipation gave way to restless sleep.
"Wala. Tahimik sila," a league source told me when asked if NU superstars Alyssa Solomon and Bella Belen have entered their names in the upcoming 2025 PVL Rookie Draft.
SOURCES SAY Bella Belen leaning towards joining PVL Rookie Draft
With Friday's deadline looming, it's becoming increasingly more likely that the outside hitter and opposite hitter won't be among the generational talents that teams in the PVL lottery will get their hands on as franchise cornerstones.
"All I know is they're looking for possibilities outside of the Philippines," a prominent figure with eyes and ears glued on the league, told me Friday morning.
KOREA OR JAPAN?
The Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) where Solomon applied for the 2025 Draft before eventually withdrawing last April, is a potential destination. That league pays Asian quota players a minimum of $125,000 a year according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.
The Japan League is another door to explore. Per the Pro Volleyball Federation, "Asian import players in the V.League generally earn a minimum salary of around $150,000 per season."
To the math impaired, that's P8.3 million for less than 12 months work in a full season. And that doesn't include perks, bonuses, sake, sushi, cherry blossoms, gadgets and the chance to ride a bullet train.
Silliness aside, there are also lucrative women's leagues in Russia and Turkey where Belen and Solomon can test the limits of their potential and grow their craft while being ambassadors of the sport.
What I'm getting at is that these NU legends are only in their early 20s, their lives full of promise and bursting with possibilities.
HOME SWEET HOME.
Should they choose to stay home and be close to their loved ones, plying their trade in the PVL won't make them struggle to pay the bills.
Although the PVL "still doesn't have a maximum salary for non rookies, there is a maximum of P150,000 for rookies," PVL president Ricky Palou told me.
That might be a little light for starters but both can make way more from endorsements in a sport that is arguably the most popular in the Philippines right now.
If it were up to me, I'd say, spread your wings and fly, ladies. See the world, rack up those airline miles and get paid a lot of money doing what you love.
If it doesn't work out, they can always enter the PVL draft next year.
Not a bad plan. Not when there's nothing to lose.
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