Former volleyball Olympian Ciara Michel has been enjoying her time in the Philippines covering the Manila Leg of 2024 VNL.
The Philippines has been getting a lot of love from international volleyball players, both past and present, during the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Manila Leg.
Among those is former Great Britain middle blocker Ciara Michel, who is in the country to cover the competition.
Speaking to reporters on the tournament’s sidelines, Michel expressed her admiration for the growth of volleyball in the Philippines.
“Any time that volleyball is growing, especially in a country like this where there’s so much love and passion for it, it’s great to see that it’s getting the exposure that it deserves,” said Michel.
During their professional career, Michel for nine different teams across the world, with stops in Germany, France, Italy, and the United States. In 2012, Michel would get called up by Great Britain for the London Olympics, helping lead her team to a 10th-place finish, which came with a history-making win over Algeria, the country's first in Olympic volleyball.
Knowing how big volleyball has become in the country, Michel wishes she could have played professionally in the Philippines.
“If I could go back in time a little bit, I think I would’ve tried to play professionally here at some point in my career because there is so much love for volleyball here,” said Michel.
“Obviously, now the knee pads are officially on the shelf, they’re collecting dust, I have not played indoor volleyball in, I guess, four years; there’s no chance of it happening, but it would’ve been nice,” said Michel.
Whether she’s a commentator or a volleyball player, it’s safe to say that Michel has fallen in love with the Philippines.
The question now is—which PVL team would have been a perfect fit for Michel?