PVL to replay opener games after ITC clearance

By Francis Allan L. Angelo and Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) will replay its 2025 Reinforced Conference opening-day games following the clearance of foreign and Fil-foreign players to compete, the league announced Wednesday.

The move comes after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) signed and activated the long-delayed International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, formally allowing international reinforcements to suit up.

The PVL said the opening-day matches — held Oct. 7 at the Ynares Center in Montalban — were played without foreign players for four teams: ZUS Coffee, Akari, Choco Mucho, and Capital1.

“The upcoming replays will allow all teams to compete with their complete rosters, including their respective imports, ensuring the full excitement and high-level competition our fans expect,” the PVL said in a statement.

The league added that all participating teams agreed to redo the matches “in the spirit of fairness, competitive parity, and delivering the best possible experience to our supporters.”

Foreign players Anna DeBeer (ZUS Coffee), Annie Mitchem (Akari), Anyse Smith (Choco Mucho), and Oleksandra Bytsenko (Capital1) were sidelined Tuesday due to the lack of ITCs, which are mandatory under FIVB rules for international competition.

Fil-American Choco Mucho setter Tia Andaya also missed the opener as her ITC remains pending.

Playing without ITCs “could have risked sanctions and affected players’ international eligibility,” the PVL noted in an earlier statement.

Sherwin Malonzo, PVL Control Committee chairman, confirmed to ABS-CBN News that “100 percent signed and active na lahat ng ITCs ng foreign guest players and Fil-foreign players.”

Despite missing key reinforcements, Choco Mucho and ZUS Coffee secured opening-day wins — results that will now be nullified and replayed.

Choco Mucho swept Capital1 in straight sets, 33-31, 26-24, 25-23, foiling the anticipated debut of top rookie pick Bella Belen.

Belen impressed in her first pro match with 20 points, 18 excellent digs, and 12 excellent receptions for the Solar Spikers, who were narrowly edged in all three sets.

The Flying Titans leaned on the clutch performances of Kat Tolentino and Dindin Santiago-Manabat to erase set-point deficits in the first two frames and closed the third with a game-winning block from Maddie Madayag.

Tolentino led all scorers for Choco Mucho with 15 points on 12 attacks and added 11 digs, while Isa Molde contributed 14 points.

In the other match, ZUS Coffee outlasted Akari in a five-set thriller, 24-26, 25-23, 17-25, 26-24, 15-7.

The PVL originally issued a strongly worded statement Tuesday expressing “deep frustration” over the PNVF’s “unprofessional” and “obstructionist” handling of the ITCs.

The reinforcements are now cleared to play for the rest of the conference, and the rescheduled matches will feature full-strength rosters.

Choco Mucho next faces Cignal on Oct. 13, while Capital1 takes on PLDT on the same day.