The PVL On Tour's third leg was a huge success.
The PVL Second All-Filipino Conference continued on Saturday, and it went all the way to Candon City in Ilocos Sur to resume hostilities for the third leg of the PVL On Tour.
And Candon City, with its newly built Candon City Arena, proved to be gracious hosts, welcoming the PVL family with open arms to a spanking new venue packed with enthusiastic, cheering fans.
They were amply rewarded, with the Ara Galang-led F2 Logistics Cargo Movers stamping their class against the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-15, 25-22, 25-17, in the curtain-raiser and the Petro Gazz Angels using their veteran smarts to repulse the tough-fighting Nxled Chameleons, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22, in front of 5,251 fans.
While the games were undoubtedly the highlight of this third leg, it was actually a busy, fun-filled couple of days for the PVL family and the citizens of Candon, who were treated to a meet-and-greet at the University of Ilocos–Philippines on Friday.
"This is a collaborative effort of the LGU of Candon and the Premier Volleyball League not only to bring exciting games but also to put in the effort and time to grow the game locally," said PVL President Ricky Palou about the different activities the league held in Candon City.
The league also held a two-day referees’ clinic conducted by international referee Jeffrey Lopez and attended by 42 Candon City barangay representatives, who got some hands-on learning right at the Candon City Arena on Saturday morning.
In addition, over 50 up-and-coming coaches from the Department of Education got the chance to participate in the PVL’s newly launched "Meet the PVL Coaches” program, with Nxled assistant mentor Vilet Ponce de Leon and Petro Gazz head of volleyball operations Oliver Almadro sharing their coaching expertise gleaned from years of experience at the game’s different levels.
Then, the games began and everyone had lots of fun.
And it won't be a surprise if the PVL returns to Candon sometime soon.