“Our mission is to make this a truly nationwide platform for volleyball,” Ucang said. “For a long time, development in ball sports has been concentrated in NCR. We have a lot of talent in Mindanao and the Visayas, but many athletes still have to go to Manila just to be seen or make it to college.”
Earlier men’s division matches on Feb. 4 also saw the Philippine Women’s College of Davao (PWC) Patriots sweep DCSP, 25–13, 25–20, 25–23, behind Raymark Marquiso’s 14 attack points.
In the women’s division, Holy Cross of Davao College Cross Blazers dominated University of Mindanao, 3–0, 25–16, 25–23, 25–14, paced by Angelica Ordinaria’s 15 attack points and two block points. Jose Maria College likewise posted a straight-set win over PWC, 25–22, 25–22, 25–23, with Honjane Sivillino tallying nine attack points and two block points.
Ucang said the league aims to highlight Visayas-Mindanao athletes and coaches within their home regions, reducing the need for student-athletes to relocate to pursue competitive opportunities.
“We’re bringing the league here so athletes can be seen, valued, and developed right where they are,” he said. “The talent is already here in VisMin.”
Champions of the Davao leg will advance to the national championships scheduled for December 2026 in Manila, where they will face winners from other regional legs. Confirmed national qualifiers include University of Cebu and Colegio de San Jose Recoletos from Cebu City, as well as Far Eastern University and Adamson University from Manila.
The Davao leg features five teams each in the men’s and women’s divisions competing in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. Matches are held every Wednesday and Friday, with the championship set for Feb. 25 at the Almendras Gym.
Organized under the Davao Athletics Schools Foundation Inc. (DASAFI), the V-League plans to expand to Iloilo by midyear as it continues to roll out regional legs nationwide. MLSA Ria Jewel Palomo, SunStar Intern/NDDU
