PETRO Gazz has parted ways with five players who played a huge part in the run to the franchise's first title in the Premier Volleyball League last 2019.
As the volleyball free agency begins in the new year, the Angels bid farewell to stars Jeanette Panaga, Cherry Nunag, Kai Baloaloa, Jonah Sabete, and Jovielyn Prado on Sunday through a social media post.
Both the team and the players have yet to bare the reason for the parting of ways.
Petro Gazz won its first PVL championship in the Reinforced Conference two years ago with the help of these five players, who ably backed up imports Wilma Salas and Janisa Johnson.
Starters Prado, Sabete, Nunag and Panaga helped the Angels to reach the Open Conference finals, where they got swept by unbeaten Creamline on November 9, 2019, which was the last PVL game before the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out the season.
The five also played for the team in the Taichung Bank International Women’s Invitational Volleyball Tournament when Petro Gazz represented the country in Taipei last September 2019.
Their departure leaves a huge void in Petro Gazz’s roster, which will now be bannered by open spikers Jerrili Malabanan and Grethcel Soltones, who were signed last year, as well as veteran setter Chie Saet and liberos Cienne Cruz and Rica Enclona.
Nunag and Panaga won the 2nd Best Middle Blocker awards in the 2019 Reinforced and Open Conference, respectively.
Sabete and Prado provided the spark for Petro Gazz’s offense, especially in the Open Conference, while Baloaloa showed quality minutes coming off the bench.
The Angels are expected to announce their new signings in the coming weeks.