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Tag: Galeries Tower Highrisers

  • Galeries Tower completes massive roster overhaul ahead of All-Filipino Conference 

    Galeries Tower completes massive roster overhaul ahead of All-Filipino Conference 

    Galeries Tower didn’t just tweak its lineup this offseason—it tore the blueprint apart and started over.

     

    With the 2026 PVL season approaching, the Highrisers emerged as one of the league’s most aggressive retoolers, committing to a full-scale reset that reshaped both their roster and their bench. 

     

    By the time the dust settled, 14 new faces were in, a veteran coach was installed, and only a handful of familiar names remained to bridge the past with what now feels like a completely new identity.

     

    The overhaul began with difficult decisions. Thirteen players were released as Galeries Tower opted to keep just four holdovers: Julia Coronel, Jean Asis, Roselle Baliton, and Winnie Bedaña. Among those who exited were inaugural captain Fhen Emnas, a string of rotational mainstays, and the Capital1-bound duo of France Ronquillo and Ysa Jimenez—moves that signaled this was not a partial rebuild, but a clean slate.

     

    Change reached the sidelines as well. PVL champion coach Godfrey Okumu and his staff made way for veteran tactician Aying Esteban, who arrived with a trusted group rooted heavily from the University of Santo Tomas coaching staff. With John Abella, JM Millado, Emman Dedoroy, Lorence Cruz, and physical therapist Migs Dizon joining him, the Highrisers aligned themselves with a system built on familiarity, structure, and long-term development.

     

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    The final touches came Tuesday, when Galeries Tower rolled out what it described as its last batch of signings: Jules Samonte, Gayle Pascual, Venice Puzon, and Maji Mangulabnan. Each arrival carried a different storyline—Samonte searching for continuity after injury setbacks, Pascual and Puzon chasing bigger opportunities after limited stints elsewhere, and Mangulabnan adding immediate comfort to the system after recent runs with Akari’s squads.

     

    Yet the centerpiece of the rebuild remains Aiza Maizo-Pontillas.

     

    Landing the veteran spiker marked Galeries Tower’s most high-profile acquisition in two years and arguably the defining signal of its ambition. She anchors a group that also includes Shola Alvarez, Sharya Ancheta, Cams Victoria, Dolly Verzosa, Erika Deloria, Lycha Ebon, Erika Raagas, Blove Barbon, and Julia Angeles—an eclectic mix of experience, upside, and positional depth.

     

    With the January 31 opening of the 2026 All-Filipino Conference fast approaching, Galeries Tower’s transformation is no longer theoretical. 

     

    The Highrisers have bet on volume, leadership, and a unified coaching vision to accelerate their climb—and in doing so, have made it clear that standing still was never an option.

     

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  • Galeries Towers bets on experience and youth in bold All-Filipino Conference makeover

    Galeries Towers bets on experience and youth in bold All-Filipino Conference makeover

    Galeries Towers is making it clear that the lessons from a difficult Reinforced Conference have not gone unnoticed.

     

    With the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference fast approaching, the HighRisers continued their aggressive roster build on Monday by announcing the signing of veteran opposite spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas—one of the most accomplished players of her generation.

     

    At 37, Maizo-Pontillas arrives not simply as an offensive option, but as a stabilizing presence for a team leaning into a new direction. 

     

    Her championship pedigree, forged during her storied run with University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP and reinforced by years of top-level competition, is expected to anchor a largely youthful Galeries lineup both on and off the court.

     

    She won’t be carrying the rebuild alone.

     

    Galeries has also brought in former Capital1 hitter Shola Alvarez and ex-ZUS Coffee standout Shar Ancheta, creating a mix of proven reliability and emerging talent. Ancheta, in particular, represents the future—the league’s first-ever Rookie of the Conference last year, she flashed immediate impact in her debut PVL season and remains one of the most intriguing young players in the league.

     

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    Alvarez, meanwhile, adds familiarity and continuity, returning to Galeries after previously suiting up for the HighRisers in 2024. Her re-entry provides the team with a player who already understands the system and culture the franchise is trying to rebuild.

     

    The moves come after a sweeping reset triggered by a winless Reinforced Conference campaign. Galeries parted ways with head coach Godfrey Okumu and his entire staff, while also releasing a long list of players as management opted for a clean slate rather than incremental change. 

     

    From the overhaul, only Alas Pilipinas standout Julia Coronel, FEU standout and PVL 2025 second overall pick Jean Asis, Roselle Baliton, and Winnie Bedaña.

     

    The roster shake-up didn’t stop there. Outside spikers Erika Raagas, Cams Victoria, Lycha Ebon, and Erika Deloria have also joined the fold, with Raagas widely viewed as a potential primary scoring option once the All-Filipino Conference begins.

     

    Guiding this revamped group is new head coach Aying Esteban, who previously led Chery Tiggo in 2022 and brings experience navigating teams through transition periods.

     

    With the All-Filipino Conference set to open on January 31, Galeries Towers is no longer just patching holes—it is redefining its identity. 

     

    By blending championship-tested veterans like Maizo-Pontillas with hungry young talents, the HighRisers are signaling that their rebuild is not about patience alone, but about competing with purpose.

     

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