FILE – Alohi Robins-Hardy will make her Filipino volleyball return to the PVL with the Farm Fresh Foxies. –PHOTO OF INQUIRY
Trades, transfers, non-compete agreements and free agency.
The Premier Volleyball League will address those issues in a team manager meeting that sources say could be sensitive, especially as the league is expected to decide on Alohi Robins-Hardy’s free agent status.
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The 28-year-old Robins-Hardy was announced as Farm Fresh’s new signee, but league officials are expected to rule in favor of a technicality brought forward by two other PVL teams, sources told the Inquirer on Wednesday.
“We have asked the league for clarification as according to the rules, players who have played for other leagues but not in the PVL must go through the draft,” a team source said.
It was the same concern expressed by another PVL team.
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According to PVL rules, players who must go through the draft must include “all female volleyball players who have previously played in college, overseas or in other leagues, but have never played in the PVL since the league in the year achieved professional status in 2021.”
Farm Fresh moved some of its talent to sister team ZUS Coffee as Kate Santiago, Chinnie Arroyo and Joan Narit attended the Thunderbelles’ media day on Sunday, although no official announcement about the transfer has been made yet.
However, a source told the Inquirer that the three standout players’ contracts had already expired and that their move from a squad that belonged to Frank Lao to the well-known businessman’s other club could be viewed as more of a transfer.
The Inquirer reached out to Ricky Palou, who said he would address the issues during the team manager’s meeting.
However, he said the PVL would tighten rules on trades between sister teams and free agency.
“We have to look at both the player side and the team side,” Palou told the Inquirer on Wednesday.
Palou said he would also discuss the Eya Laure case with Chery Tiggo.
Laure is reportedly on her way out of crossovers, but is reportedly not allowed to play for other teams because her contract contains a non-compete clause.
“All I understand at the moment is that she has a live contract. “That’s why I will clarify things with Chery during our team manager’s meeting so that we can find a solution to everything that will be beneficial for both the players and the teams.”
Other swaps
Earlier this year, former Choco Mucho stars Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla were sent to sister team Creamline, while Akari and Nxled followed suit with a multiplayer swap ahead of the Reinforced Conference that saw Ivy Lacsina, Dani Ravena, Kamille Cal and Cams Victoria joins the Chargers, who sent Trisha Genesis, Bang Pineda and Jaja Maraguinot to the Chameleons.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat was originally involved in this multiplayer swap, but ended her contract to play for Choco Mucho.
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Farm Fresh has also bolstered its roster by acquiring former long-time HD Spiker libero Jheck Dionela and is hoping to get the green light for Robins-Hardy, the Filipino-American setter who most recently played in the country also for Cignal in the defunct Philippine SuperLiga played.