The 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference will be filled with intriguing storylines when it resumes starting this January.
An added layer of excitement will be surrounding the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference when it resumes this January 18 following a month-long holiday break. From resurgent teams to much-awaited debuts, there are still a lot of intriguing storylines to follow in the next four months of the conference.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at four must-follow developments ahead of the conference’s reopening later this January.
Petro Gazz’s continued return to form
The Petro Gazz Angels will enter 2025 as the number one seed with an impressive five wins against a sole loss to the Creamline Cool Smashers. It’s a welcome resurgence for Petro Gazz, who was bogged down by health issues for much of the 2024 PVL season.
The Angels already have convincing wins over contenders including the Cignal HD Spikers, Akari Chargers, and the PLDT High-Speed Hitters. Brooke Van Sickle continues her stellar play, while two-time MVP Myla Pablo seems to have rediscovered her vintage form early into the conference.
Now, can the Angels carry over this momentum into 2025? We find out starting this January 31 when they take on the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.
Old faces, new places
Twenty-twenty-five could see old faces finally debut in new places after sitting out the initial stages of All-Filipino action. At the top of this list would be the Farm Fresh Foxies’ Rachel Anne Daquis and Jolina Dela Cruz, who are expected to make their debuts this January.
Veteran star Daquis sat out Farm Fresh’s first five games to prioritize her conditioning, while Dela Cruz recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she incurred in 2023 with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.
Joining them is former Adamson Lady Falcons middle blocker Lorene Toring, who also suffered an ACL tear ahead of UAAP Season 86 in February last year.
“We’re taking this time [the holiday break] para ma-insert sila doon sa sistema na meron ‘yung team. So hopefully enough ‘yung time para makapaglaro kaagad sila pagbalik ng New Year, but definitely within the month,” Farm Fresh head coach Benson Bocboc said in a recent statement.
Nothing is set in stone, but 2025 might also see the debut of EJ Laure for the NXLed Chameleons after parting ways with the Chery Tiggo Crossovers. Meanwhile, middle blocker Risa Sato might just have found a new home with Chery Tiggo after recently being spotted in a team lunch.
How will Cignal move forward from Riri Meneses, Ces Molina’s departure?
Amid a shock exit with possible legal implications, Cignal will have to move forward without two of its veterans Ces Molina and Riri Meneses. Their departure was announced last January 9, although sound details remain hazy with Cignal even looking at a possible breach of contract.
“We are currently consulting our legal team to determine all possible courses of action regarding this material breach of both players’ contract,” a part of their statement added. “Team management initiated renewal discussions via formal offers as early as October 2024. Unfortunately, both players have not responded to any communication and have ceased attending since its resumption earlier this week.”
The exit is a huge blow for the HD Spikers, who sit in second place with a 4-1 record for the conference. After all, Molina is a former league MVP who brings steady scoring along with her veteran leadership. Meneses, meanwhile, was a two-time Best Blocker with Cignal as she led their vaunted net defense.
Now, it’ll be a matter of stepping up for Cignal’s lean 12-woman roster, which still includes Alas Pilipinas player Vanie Gandler and breakout middle blocker Jacq Acuña. And as they pick up the pieces, may a proper resolution be reached between both parties on the management side of things.
The rise of ZUS Coffee
On a more positive note, the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles have shown glimpses of their potential with first-overall pick Thea Gagate and veteran pickup Jovelyn Gonzaga leading the way. The retooled Thunderbelles scored their first two wins as a franchise early into the conference and came close to upsetting the Creamline Cool Smashers before heading into the break.
A potent mix of veterans and youngsters make up ZUS Coffee, which could be a competitive core as they continue to build their chemistry on the court. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise either to see them improve on their 2-3 win-loss record once the conference resumes later this month.
Next stages under the new format
This season’s All-Filipino wars are expected to feature a longer path heading into the traditional playoff rounds. For now, the usual path of accumulating a strong win-loss slate will be set aside for innovations such as the qualifying round and play-in tournament.
Such innovations will surely spice things up, with teams getting two precious chances to enter the usual playoff rounds. They can enter the quarterfinals as early as the qualifying rounds, or go through a last-chance path in the play-in tournament.
And for the fans, it’s another set of high-stakes contests that could come with another set of player revelations or even a Cinderella run.
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.