JHO Maraguinot has signed with BaliPure for the 2022 PVL Open Conference.
Purest Water Defenders manager Gil Cortez bared to Spin.ph on Sunday that they acquired Maraguinot from the Perlas Spikers, who has taken a leave of absence from the league.
The PVL plans to start the Open Conference in February.
BaliPure also signed Janine Marciano, Julia Ipac and Rap Aguilar from Cignal, Marian Buitre from Chery Tiggo, Jamie Lavitoria from Choco Mucho, ex PLDT libero Alyssa Eroa and Patty Orendain.
The team also got back setter Alina Bicar, who played for Petro Gazz in the PNVF Champions League, joining holdovers Been Flora, Gen Casugod, Sati Espiritu, Gyra Barroga and Carly Hernandez.
Marian Buitre moves from Chery Tiggo to BaliPure.
“Yung mga coaches, ito yung napili nila talaga. I think may ibubuga ito. Hindi man compared doon sa malalaking pangalan na talagang nag tug of war (yung teams). But these players they have their own given talent and they play hard,” said Cortez.
It will be Maraguinot’s third club team after playing for Sta. Lucia in the 2018 Philippine Superliga and campaigned with the Perlas Spikers in the PVL Bubble in Ilocos Norte and Champions League in Lipa Batangas last year.
Marciano and Eroa, two of the pioneering members when Balipure entered the volleyball scene in the 2016 Shakey’s V-League, found their way back to the Water Defenders.
Maraguinot, Orendain and Marciano are set to provide enough fire power for the Water Defenders after the departure of top scorer Graze Bombita, who transferred to Cignal last year.
Cortez is confident that these eight newcomers, who will be playing under head coach John Abella, have what it takes to improve their eight place finish with a 6-8 win-loss record last season.
“Of course nawala sila sa ibang teams nila, pupukpok at maglalaro ng mahusay ito to prove to their other teams, lalo nanyung nagtanggal sa kanila, na nakakalaro sila ng mahusay,” Cortez said.
BaliPure is looking for two more players to complete its roster for the season.
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