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Tag: Chery Tiggo Crossovers

  • “There are applicants”: Ricky Palou on potential new PVL teams

    “There are applicants”: Ricky Palou on potential new PVL teams

    The 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season is set to tip off this weekend, with the league officially opening its calendar on Saturday, January 31, as the All-Filipino Conference preliminary round gets underway at the FilOil Center in San Juan City.

     

    While the new season marks another chapter for the country’s top professional volleyball league, this year’s All-Filipino Conference will feature a reduced field of 10 teams. The downsized lineup follows the exit of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in December last year and the Petro Gazz Angels, who announced earlier this month that they would be taking a leave of absence from league play.

     

    Despite the departure of two established franchises, PVL president Ricky Palou expressed confidence in the league’s stability and long-term growth, revealing that several companies have already shown interest in joining the competition.

     

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    “Dalawa nga, Cebu-based. But we are not just gonna let them come in that easy. We have to also study what capabilities they have, will they be able to stay with the league for a longer period of time,” Palou said during the PVL’s press conference in Ortigas.

     

    Palou emphasized that while expansion remains a goal, the league is taking a cautious approach in evaluating potential new teams to ensure sustainability and competitive balance.

    “If they are financially capable of maintaining a team that long. Those are the things we are looking at right now. But there are applicants,” he added.

     

    According to Palou, should the evaluation process move smoothly, newly approved teams could begin competing as early as the next PVL conference, signaling the league’s openness to gradual expansion. He also clarified that the PVL continues to keep the door open for Petro Gazz, which recently captured the 2025 Reinforced Conference title before announcing its temporary exit.

     

    “They still want to be part of the league. So we are in talks with them on possible sponsorships. They are willing to still be involved in the activities of the league,” Palou continued.

     

    The PVL has seen multiple teams and franchises step away from the league since 2021, sparking ongoing discussions about the financial demands required to sustain a professional volleyball team. Rising operational costs—ranging from player salaries and coaching staff to logistics and marketing—have become a growing concern for team owners.

     

    Palou acknowledged these challenges and revealed that the league has been actively discussing ways to ease the financial burden on its member teams.

     

    “Internally, we have been discussing some issues on how we can do to actually help the teams. We know it is getting more expensive for the teams to keep up, keep their teams together. I understand teams are now spending like P60, P75-million a year in maintaining a team. To us, this is a concern. We’d like to have the teams reduce the expenses and right now we are in talks on how to do this,” he concluded.

     

    As the 2026 season begins, the PVL finds itself balancing growth with sustainability—aiming to preserve the league’s competitive level while ensuring that franchises are financially equipped for long-term participation. With discussions ongoing and potential new teams on the horizon, league officials remain optimistic that the PVL can continue to evolve while addressing the realities of operating a professional sports league in the country.

     

     

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  • Strong Group lands free agency heavyweight as Ara Galang finally finds a new home

    Strong Group lands free agency heavyweight as Ara Galang finally finds a new home

    PVL free agency has been defined by uncertainty, rapid exits, and franchises scrambling to reset—but one of its longest-standing questions has finally been answered. Ara Galang, arguably the most accomplished name still available on the market, has committed to the Strong Group Athletics (SGA) program, bringing clarity to a turbulent offseason.

     

    Galang’s arrival marks SGA’s 10th signing in a span of weeks, a clear signal of how aggressively the group has moved to stockpile proven talent ahead of the 2026 season. 

     

    More than just another addition, the veteran opposite hitter represents pedigree, stability, and a track record that few in the league can match.

     

    Her signing also continues the steady dismantling of the Chery Tiggo core. Galang is now the 10th former Crossover to secure a new PVL landing spot since the franchise formally disbanded in December, further shrinking a free-agent pool that once brimmed with championship-level contributors.

     

    Transitions, however, are nothing new for Galang. A preseason silver medalist and former Invitational Conference Best Opposite Hitter, the 31-year-old has already navigated a similar upheaval before.

     

     In 2023, she was forced into the open market following F2 Logistics’ sudden exit from the league—a move that sent shockwaves across PVL circles. 

     

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    That episode only reinforced her value, as she quickly emerged as one of the most coveted players available before being scooped up by Chery Tiggo.

     

    This offseason unfolded in much the same way. With nearly every team reportedly exploring the possibility of adding her, Galang ultimately chose the SGA route, positioning herself to suit up for either Farm Fresh or ZUS Coffee—two of the league’s younger squads looking to fast-track their competitiveness.

     

    Beyond her scoring punch, Galang brings leadership and championship-level experience to an SGA build that has leaned heavily on balance. 

     

    Of the stable’s 10 acquisitions, six came from the now-defunct Chery Tiggo roster, forming a familiar core that includes Mylene Paat, Cess Robles, Imee Hernandez, Karen Verdeflor, and Renee Penafiel.

     

    They are joined by former Petro Gazz standouts Chie Saet and Remy Palma, along with ex-Choco Mucho contributors Royse Tubino and Bia General, creating a mix of veterans and prime contributors rarely assembled in one offseason.

     

    As PVL teams race against the calendar and the free-agent board continues to thin, Galang’s decision doesn’t just close one chapter—it reshapes the competitive landscape for the season to come.

     

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  • Former Chery Tiggo standouts Mylene Paat and Pauline Gaston find new homes with SGA, Capital1 

    Former Chery Tiggo standouts Mylene Paat and Pauline Gaston find new homes with SGA, Capital1 

     The aftershocks of Chery Tiggo’s sudden exit from the PVL continue to reshape the league’s landscape, with two more familiar faces from the defunct franchise securing new paths ahead of the upcoming season.

     

    Veteran opposite spiker Mylene Paat and middle blocker Pauline Gaston have emerged as the latest beneficiaries of an unusually active offseason, finding new homes as teams scramble to strengthen their rosters following Chery Tiggo’s disbandment last month.

     

    Paat, a proven scorer and championship-tested presence, is set to join the Strong Group Athletics camp, where she could potentially suit up for either ZUS Coffee or Farm Fresh. 

     

    Her arrival adds instant credibility to any frontline she anchors, especially given her history as part of Chery Tiggo’s golden run during the 2021 Open Conference, where the Crossovers stunned Creamline in a five-set thriller to claim the first-ever PVL professional title.

     

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    Gaston, meanwhile, heads to Capital1, continuing the Solar Spikers’ aggressive rebuild. The former Crosser spent the last two seasons with Chery Tiggo after joining the club in 2023, and now becomes part of a growing wave of ex-Chery Tiggo standouts relocating to new environments.

     

    Capital1, in particular, has quickly turned into a landing spot for former Crossovers. Jasmine Nabor and Shaya Adorador have already committed to the Solar Spikers, signaling a clear intent to inject experience and chemistry into a young roster navigating its next phase.

     

    As Chery Tiggo fades into league history, its former core is rapidly being redistributed across the PVL—altering team identities, competitive balance, and storylines heading into the new season.

     

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