2016 Superliga calendar favors collegiate stars

Alyssa Valdez, one of the UAAP stars who could join the Philippine Super Liga drafting this coming year. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

THE PHILIPPINE Superliga has opened its doors to collegiate players wide enough for the likes of Ateneo star Alyssa Valdez to join, and long enough for them to make a career decision.

Releasing its 2016 calendar, the countryís top club league marked off February to May for the annual players draft pool application and profiling.

Most collegiate leagues like the UAAP and the NCAA have already finished its season by May.

The move will allow players like Valdez, Ara Galang, Cyd Demecillo and Mika Reyes to move up the club league whose teams will offer one-year exclusive contracts to players starting the coming year.

The draft application and profiling kicked off the hectic PSL calendar which includes eight tournaments here and abroad.

From Feb. 12 to March 13, the PSL will stage the PSL Invitationals that will feature a crack Japan squad battling local squads.

The league will then form an all-star team to campaign in the Thailand Super League slated March 23 to 29, going up against club teams from Vietnam and Thailand.

The beach volleyball season will also fire off May 7 with the Beach Volley Challenge Series that will run for four weekends.

On May 20, the league will present the drafted players to the media with their respective teams.

The All-Filipino Conference commences June 11 to July 30, followed by the Championsí League on Aug. 19 to 21 which aims to pit all league champions for the year.

The country will then host the prestigious Asian Womenís Club Championships Sept. 3 to 11 with 2015 GP champ Foton comprising the core of the national team.

And for the first time in the four-year league, PSL will take its act to the United States with the PSL West Coast Road Tour.

The season will be capped with the import-flavored Grand Prix slated Oct. 8 to Dec. 4.