PSL readies for bigger 2016

WITH a breakthrough year behind it, the Philippine Superliga women’s volleyball braces for an even bigger 2016 season, kicking off with the PSL Invitationals in February.

Already, a crack team from Japan agreed to spice up the competition as it will join the top three local teams in the later stage of the tourney.

Last year’s champions Foton (Grand Prix) and Petron (All-Filipino) will be at the forefront of local campaign in the short, Grand Prix-style meet.

But Philips Gold, Cignal, RC Cola and Meralco are also expected to show their wares and prove something to start off the year.

According to PSL officials led by PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, the meet format will see local teams slugging it out in a round robin.

The top three teams will then be joined by a club team from Japan which will clash in a Final Four.

The Japanese, long regarded as a volleyball powerhouse in the region, are expected to infuse world-class quality to the meet. They will be in the country for just a week, playing in the semis and the finals, if ever.

Though the PSL brought in world class imports like Foton’s Lindsay Stalzer, Philips Gold’s Bojana Todorovic and Cignal’s Ariel Usher, the meet also marks the first time the PSL will have a foreign team playing against local teams.

The country’s only club league will also send an all-star team to the SMM TV Invitationals in Bangkok in March. The tournament gathers teams from the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The PSL is also slated to name the coach who will handle the squad to Bangkok but it will prefer a mentor not attached to the coming collegiate leagues.