As far as the PVL is concerned, it is willing to loan its best and brightest to Alas Pilipinas for the Asian Games in Nagoya. But if reports are any indication, this support doesn’t seem to be absolute.
According to The STAR, the PVL is very much willing to let the league’s top players join the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-formed pool for the national team set to compete in Nagoya later this year. However, there’s a slight caveat: it is leaving the final decision to the players’ mother clubs.
“The ball is now in the court of the Premier Volleyball League mother clubs,” Palou told The STAR, a day after the POC announced a 21-player pool made up primarily of PVL standouts. “If the teams release their players to the NT, we don’t have any problems with that. Of course, we really would like the teams to release their players to the NT.”
POC Takes Over Volleyball, Hopes for PVL Support
With the PNVF suspended by the FIVB and later on the POC, the latter is currently handling national team responsibilities, particularly as regards the participation of the men’s and women’s teams in the Asian Games. Over the weekend, the POC announced the formation of a new pool that brings together most of the original Alas Pilipinas squad that captured a historic bronze medal in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup before improving to a silver-medal finish the following year.
Named to the pool are team captain PVL standouts Bella Belen, Vanie Gandler, and Erika Santos of the Capital1 Solar Spikers; Eya Laure and Dawn Catindig of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans; Alleiah Malaluan and Dell Palomata of the PLDT High Speed Hitters; Justine Jazareno, Mars Alba, and Fifi Sharma of the Akari Chargers; and Jen Nierva, Pangs Panaga, and Jia de Guzman of the Creamline Cool Smashers; Thea Gagate of the Zus Coffee Thunderbelles; and Gel Cayuna of the Nxled Chameleons.
Alyssa Solomon, Angel Canino, Niña Ytang, Amie Provido, Shaira Jardio, and Arah Panique round out the pool and are the only non-PVL players in it.
With the majority of the national team pool composed of PVL stars, the POC has naturally sought the full cooperation of the PVL through Palou and commissioner Sherwin Malonzo.
So far, the PVL has said yes. But that caveat is at least concerning.
