These well-travelled imports will spice up the competition within the Premier Volleyball League.
It’s that time of the year again for the Premier Volleyball League, where international flavor spices up the competition.
Starting this October 7, the league will once again hold its annual Reinforced Conference, where 12 teams will be bolstered by well-traveled imports in their quest for a coveted league title.
Ahead of the conference opener, The GAME looks at this year’s class of reinforcements and what they could bring to their respective teams.
PLDT High Speed Hitters: Anastasija Bavykina
From Elena Samoilenko in the 2023 and 2024 Reinforced Conference, two-time PVL champs PLDT will once again tap a Russian reinforcement for this year’s import-laden tilt. As they gun for a third-straight league championship, the High Speed Hitters have turned to veteran outside hitter Anastasija Bavykina.
A former Russian national team member, Bavykina has spent much of her career playing in her home country, having played for title contenders such as Proton-Saratov and Dinamo Moscow in the Russian Women’s Volleyball Super League.
Bavykina is expected to provide added scoring punch to a PLDT offense that already features the explosive Savi Davison, a resurgent Kim Kianna Dy, Mika Reyes, Majoy Baron, Alleiah Malaluan, and a fit-again Kim Fajardo orchestrating the offense.
Petro Gazz Angels: Lindsey Vander Weide
Call it a full-circle moment for Petro Gazz, as they bring back Lindsey Vander Weide, the American import who led the Angels to their first-ever Reinforced Conference title three years ago.
Now 27, Vander Weide returns to Petro Gazz having sharpened her craft in Puerto Rico with Changas de Naranjito and in her native United States with San Diego Mojo, Athletes Unlimited Pro League, and the Orlando Valkyries. Vander Weide also has extensive experience across Europe, having played in France, Hungary, and Greece after graduating from the University of Oregon.
Given that Petro Gazz’s core remains mostly intact, Vander Weide should have no problems re-adjusting herself in the PVL. Making things much sweeter, she’s also going to reunite with her one-time teammate at Oregon: two-time PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle.
Creamline Cool Smashers: Courtney Schwan
After coming off back-to-back bronze medal finishes, Creamline is pulling all the stops in their Reinforced Conference redemption tour. Rather than signing a rookie like Erica Staunton last year, the Cool Smashers have tapped a more experienced reinforcement in Courtney Schwan.
Since graduating from the Washington Huskies in 2017, Schwan has gone on to play across Italy and France, before returning to her native United States to play with the Orlando Valkyries in Major League Volleyball. It’s also worth noting that Schwan actually teamed up with Petro Gazz’s Vander Weide in Orlando, along with Thai national team standout Pornpun Guedpard.
Chery Tiggo Crossovers: Yunieska Batista
Chery Tiggo’s resurgence under Norman Miguel was one of the best storylines over the PVL on Tour and Invitational Conference. Now, they look to sustain that winning form in the Reinforced Conference with Yuneiska Batista, an explosive spiker from Cuba.
Like most of her peers in this tournament, Batista has suited up for her national team in the past, and will bring experience refined in her stay across top leagues in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Poland, and even her native Cuba.
As she joins Cess Robles, Ara Galang, and middle blocker Imee Hernandez in the Crossovers, will Batista lead them to another medal in this year’s import-laden tourney?
Cignal HD Spikers: Eva Chantava
Those who followed the AVC Champions League last April may be familiar with Eva Chantava, as she was one of the imports tapped by Nakhon Ratchasima for the one-week tilt. A Greek standout, Chantava was the Korat’s second-leading scorer (58 points; 11.60 per game) behind fellow outside hitter Anyse Marlee Smith.
Chantava will join a retooled Cignal side led by PVL on Tour MVP Erika Santos and Alas Pilipinas standouts Vanie Gandler and Dawn Macandili-Catindig in their bid to write a breakthrough run in this year’s Reinforced Conference.
ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles: Anna DeBeer
Rather than add some veteran presence, ZUS Coffee is choosing to add some youthful energy to their up-and-coming core by signing Anna DeBeer. At 23, DeBeer is the youngest of this year’s import class and will join a ZUS Coffee core that features a good balance of young stars and veteran leaders.
DeBeer had a stellar collegiate career with the Louisville Cardinals and was part of the team that reached two NCAA tournament finals in 2022 and 2024. Shortly after, DeBeer made her professional debut for Indy Ignite in the MLV, where she finished with an impressive 179
Now, she looks to make a splash as she joins her first professional team outside of her native United States.
Akari Chargers: Annie Mitchem
There will be big shoes to fill for Akari’s Annie Mitchem as she takes over from Oly Okaro. After all, it was under Okaro’s leadership that the Chargers finished with a franchise-best silver medal in the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
Mitchem is fresh off a stint with Jakarta Livin Mandiri in Indonesia, which should give her an impression of Asian volleyball. Prior to these, the American hitter has already played in top leagues across Europe and Brazil, including a three-year stay in Italy’s Women’s Volleyball Serie A1.
With Akari, Mitchem is expected to complete a formidable wing rotation along with Ivy Lacsina, Faith Nisperos, and Eli Soyud as they usher in a new era under head coach Tina Salak.
Nxled Chameleons: Paola Martinez Vela
From plying her trade in Europe, Spanish wing spiker Paola Martinez Vela is now headed to the Philippines, where she will join an Nxled club that showed signs of promise during the PVL on Tour.
Also a member of the Spanish national team, Vela is set to bring her versatility to the Chameleons, who already feature a promising rookie in Lyann de Guzman and a resurgent veteran in EJ Laure.
Farm Fresh Foxies: Helene Rousseaux
As sister team ZUS Coffee continues to make noise, Farm Fresh has been slowly building a core that could seriously compete down the line. Today, they have a youthful but explosive gunner in Trisha Tubu, a promising head coach in Alessandro Lodi, a towering veteran setter in Alohi Robins-Hardy, and the “RiCes” pairing of Riri Meneses and Ces Molina.
Joining this group is Belgium’s Helene Rousseaux, a former national team standout who was part of their historic bronze medal finish at the 2013 European Championships, and in their run during the 2014 FIVB Women’s World Championship in Italy.
At the club level, Rousseaux has competed across France, Italy, Poland, and Turkey throughout her career. The Belgian spiker should also be familiar with the Asian volleyball game, having played for Korea’s Suwon Hyundai Hillstate during the 2020-21 season.
Choco Mucho Flying Titans: Anyse Marlee Smith
As early as now, Anyse Marlee Smith already has the makings of a fan-favorite as she brings a wide smile coupled with a natural explosiveness that could produce a highlight reel spike or two.
Marlee should be a familiar face for Pinoy fans, as like Cignal’s Chantava, she was an import for Nakhon Ratchasima in the AVC Champions League. The American hitter made quite the impression at the time as she led Korat in scoring with 75 points (15.00 per game) en route to a bronze medal finish.
Given Sisi Rondina’s absence due to national team commitments, Marlee might just be the import that Choco Mucho needs to fill the offensive void left by the Cherry Bomb.
Galeries Tower Highrisers: Jelena Cvijovic
Alongside Vander Weide, Jelena Cvijovic is one of two returning imports for this year’s tournament, having played for the Chery Tiggo Crossovers during the 2022 Reinforced Conference. Cvijovic led the Crossovers to a fourth-place finish during that stint.
From a contending Chery Tiggo in 2022, Cvijovic will find herself joining a young Galeries Tower team led by Alas Pilipinas stalwart Julia Coronel and middle blocker Jean Asis as they try to make some noise in the PVL.
Capital1 Solar Spikers: Oleksandra Bytsenko
After her recent stints in the Chinese Volleyball League and Japan V.League, Oleksandra Bytsenko will continue to make waves across the Asian scene as Capital1’s newest reinforcement.
A towering hitter from Ukraine, Bytsenko looks to lead a Solar Spikers crew that went on a Cinderella run in last year’s tournament that featured sensational Russian gunner Marina Tushova.
Banner images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.