Finally, the Premier Volleyball League has united Philippine volleyball and let it be that, at long last, Filipinos have a professional volleyball league.
Two women who paved the path for that to be so, once walked the grounds inside the gates along University Avenue.
“It was one of the most memorable years for me,” shared Ivy Remulla to Migs Bustos in the newest episode of the University Avenue webcast. “Zobel volleyball was my foundation. It helped my become the woman I am today.”
Remulla starred for De La Salle Zobel, and then De La Salle University, volleyball before embarking on voyage that even reached the national team. She last played for Marinerang Pilipina in the PVL’s last season before going pro in 2019.
While the Skippers aren’t back in the PVL just yet, their onetime middle blocker remains very much part of the league’s fabric, remotely calling contests currently being held in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
Very much like her ate, younger sister Anne is also still very much part of volleyball history. A longtime analyst for ABS-CBN Sports’ pioneering coverage of UAAP volleyball, she now lends her voice to One Sports’ promising airing of the professionalized PVL.
Her career, as well, took root in the school inside faraway Ayala Alabang.
“Most of my life in Zobel was spent studying and playing volleyball, to the point na my teammates were my barkada,” she shared. “Our love for the sport was rooted in us being part of the DLSZ team.”
Zobel has long been a force to reckon with in volleyball, from the dominant days under iconic Edwin Leyva to the present resurgent contention under legendary Tina Salak.
The common theme through it all – aside from winning, of course – is holistic education. DLSZ’s volleyball coaches always see to it that learning for their student-athletes isn’t only confined to the gym.
“I couldn’t forget that back in the day, our education didn’t end on the court. We also had classroom sessions,” narrated Anne. “We had steno notebooks with coach teaching us how to take stats, volleyball fundamentals and like that.”
“We had lessons. We had exams. That was our mental training.”
Being taken care of both physically and mentally, Zobel’s volleybelles were ready and raring for each and every match they had.
“When we go up against teams, we scouted them and each of their players had notes,” recalled Anne. “We were also one of the few teams who had twice-a-day training – in the high school level ha!”
“But when you move to college, you’d say, ‘Wow! I was prepared for this.’ ‘Di na kami na-shock sa ganung level.”
That is exactly why though they may not be playing per se, the Remulla sisters still have a hand guiding the direction of Philippine volleyball.
In turn, it was by Zobel’s hands that both Ivy and Anne were molded into becoming fixtures in the continuously rising sport.
“When we say foundation, it was not just learning how to play e,” expressed Anne. “Zobel taught us many, many things also outside the volleyball court.”
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The pasture isn’t always greener on the other side. In fact, it’s the greenest along University Avenue. Continue catching all our episodes on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/delasalle.zobel) and also follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dls_zobel).
