ARGUABLY the busiest offseason in PVL history delivered no shortage of shockers and head-scratchers.
READ PVL TRACKER: All offseason moves ahead of 2026 season
While the league heads into 2026 with just 10 remaining teams, the scale of offseason maneuvering has arguably made the incoming All-Filipino Conference far more unpredictable and compelling.
One key wrinkle this time around is the absence of a reigning champion, as Petro Gazz’ leave of absence means that there won’t be an active titleholder to chase or dethrone, resetting the pecking order before opening day.
Whether each of the remaining teams did enough, went above and beyond, or left fans wanting more is the question at hand, as SPIN.ph puts the entire offseason under the microscope.
AKARI: B+
The Chargers have taken a relatively low-key route this offseason, but their moves point to a deliberate and well-balanced plan rather than inactivity.
So far, Akari has confirmed three additions led by former Cignal spark plug Judith Abil, alongside ex-Chery Tiggo pair Baby Jyne Soreño and Cza Carandang.
Newly-crowned Maldives league champion Mary Rhose Dapol is also widely expected to join the Chargers, pending official confirmation from the club.
To make room, Akari parted ways with Erika Raagas, Ezra Madrigal, and Cams Victoria.
Compared to the sweeping shakeups seen around the league, Akari’s offseason may appear modest.
On paper, however, it reads as calculated and purposeful.
The additions of Abil, Soreño, and the arrival of Dapol directly address the Chargers’ long-standing depth concerns, especially after previous conferences were derailed by injuries to key contributors such as Faith Nisperos, Ivy Lacsina, Ced Domingo, Fifi Sharma, and Raagas.
Carandang’s arrival also revives the Morayta connection with Domingo at the net, injecting veteran stability into a blocking unit that remains youthful with 24-year-old Alas Pilipinas mainstay Sharma and incoming sophomore Jamaica Villena.
While the addition of another top-tier middle blocker could have elevated the roster further, Akari’s offseason still shapes up as a quietly encouraging one for head coach Tina Salak entering the new year.
CAPITAL1: A-
The Solar Spikers left little room for doubt about their intentions this offseason, executing a shakeup that signaled a desire to move beyond midfield status and establish a more competitive identity.
With eight new acquisitions brought into the fold, Capital1 is widely expected to trend upward, or at the very least, look more formidable than it has in recent conferences.
At the heart of this facelift is a reality that is hard to ignore: the rebuild being largely centered on maximizing the potential of franchise cornerstone Bella Belen.
Her rookie campaign in last year’s Reinforced Conference proved that while Belen has elevated the Solar Spikers’ level of play, sustained playoff relevance will require a stronger supporting cast around her.
One of their more under-the-radar yet impactful additions is former Galeries Tower standout France Ronquillo.
The 25-year-old winger was a rare bright spot for the Highrisers and now joins fellow ex-Galeries Tower ace Ysa Jimenez as a pair of steady scoring options who can either complement Belen’s offense or shoulder the load themselves when needed.
Capital1 also addressed a crucial area by signing champion setter Jas Nabor, instantly bolstering head coach Jorge Souza de Brito’s playmaking arsenal alongside Nikka Yandoc, Iris Tolenada, and May Macatuno.
Further rounding out the rebuild are proven, battle-tested pieces such as spiker-blocker Pauline Gaston, Alas middle blocker Cherry Nunag, and legitimate power hitter Shaya Adorador.
Together, these additions provide Capital1 with much-needed depth, reliability, and balance which all serve as key ingredients for a team aiming to take the next step in the 2026 season.
CHOCO MUCHO: A
Winning a year-long sweepstakes for one of the sport’s most coveted spikers headlined a strong offseason for the Flying Titans.
After a turbulent exit from Chery Tiggo, Alas standout Eya Laure had no shortage of options in free agency.
She ultimately chose to suit up for the ‘Ube Nation,’ setting the stage for a much-anticipated reunion with former University of Santo Tomas teammate and PVL MVP Sisi Rondina.
Joining Laure in that black-and-gold reunion are returning winger Caitlin Viray and former Golden Tigresses setter Alina Bicar, giving Choco Mucho a familiar core that already understands each other’s tendencies on and off the court.
Rounding out the team’s modest intake is ex-Nxled middle blocker Jaila Atienza.
While the Flying Titans only welcomed four newcomers, what elevates their offseason is the emphasis on fit, quality, and necessity rather than sheer volume.
The formation of a spiker trio featuring Rondina, Laure and Viray, all products of the same collegiate system, significantly shortens the adjustment period and injects immediate firepower into the lineup.
That trio also complements an already loaded attacking group that includes Kat Tolentino and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, both often nursing injuries, but still key pieces when healthy.
The added depth gives head coach Dante Alinsunurin multiple scoring configurations to work with, one he has longed for amid recurring personnel issues in recent years.
On the defensive end, Atienza teaming up with multi-awarded libero Thang Ponce provides Choco Mucho with a steady and reliable floor defense.
The exits of Cherry Nunag and Aduke Ogunsanya do leave the middle rotation thinner behind Maddie Madayag, with young guns Lorraine Pecaña and Jen Villegas still developing.
Even so, Choco Mucho ensured that its offseason ended not just with star power, but with tangible upgrades to position the Flying Titans as a far more dangerous contender entering 2026.
CIGNAL: C+
Cignal took the path least traveled this offseason, logging what was the quietest window in the league with a simple, almost minimalist ledger: one player out, one player in.
The Super Spikers parted ways with spiker-slash-libero Abil and brought in veteran setter Ivy Perez, a move indicative of the team’s desire for continuity rather than chase sweeping change.
In effect, Cignal chose to stick to the status quo and bank on its existing chemistry heading into 2026.
That means head coach Shaq delos Santos will largely roll out the same starting core and rotation dynamics, anchored by national team mainstays Vanie Gandler and Dawn Macandili-Catindig alongside reigning PVL on Tour MVP Erika Santos and rising winger Ishie Lalongisip, among others, in what remains a cohesive and battle-tested lineup.
There is merit in resisting the urge to tinker, especially for a team that has still remained competitive.
However, with a deep free-agent pool available across nearly every position this offseason, Cignal arguably could have explored minor retouches to raise its ceiling just a bit higher.
That conservative approach is why the Super Spikers land in the C range of this grading series — not because the moves were misguided, but because opportunities for incremental upgrades were largely left on the table.
Bringing in Perez as a third playmaker, despite already having four-time PVL Best Setter Gel Cayuna and champion setter Gyzelle Sy, hardly comes across as a necessity-based move.
To Cignal’s credit, however, much of its roster reshaping happened months earlier than most.
The additions of Tin Tiamzon, Jewel Encarnacion, Heather Guino-o, and Ethan Arce, along with draft picks Jessa Ordiales and undrafted libero Pearl Denura from months back came when the rest of the league was still quiet.
In that sense, the Super Spikers may have simply been ahead of the curve.
But still, when a window opens to make a promising title contender sharper, more so if it still hasn’t cleared the championship hurdle for so long.
Whether their ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’ philosophy pays dividends in a reshaped PVL landscape, though, is something only the season itself can answer.
CREAMLINE: B-
For a falling dynasty to rise again, it needs new building blocks capable of re-erecting its once-golden stature.
That, however, did not appear to be the approach Creamline took after a rare championship-less calendar year.
Yes, the Cool Smashers parted ways with five mainstays who had seen limited court time, moves that were largely understandable and arguably overdue.
But subtraction alone is not a rebuild.
Considering the volume and quality of talent available in free agency, making more than one or two significant additions would hardly have been excessive.
Creamline’s lone confirmed acquisition was Alas libero Jen Nierva, brought in to cover for Kyla Atienza, as she continues to recover from a left elbow injury.
It is a sensible, need-based signing but also a conservative one.
Signs also point to a second, yet-to-be-announced move in former Petro Gazz setter Donnalyn Paralejas, who on paper is set to replace Mafe Galanza as the team’s third setter behind returning national team captain Jia De Guzman and four-time best setter Kyle Negrito.
Even with former MVP Jema Galanza recovering from a left foot injury and fellow MVP Tots Carlos still working her way back to form after a lengthy layoff, this offseason felt like the ideal moment for Creamline to invest in younger, fresher scoring options, particularly on the wings.
The Cool Smashers will regain Bernadeth Pons following her SEA Games beach volleyball gold campaign, and they still boast another MVP in Michele Gumabao.
But the direction taken by the Sherwin Meneses-led unit this offseason could’ve been more focused on complementing existing pieces and actively building for the future.
This is not to suggest that Creamline’s championship core has lost its dynastic sheen when it clearly has not despite last year’s struggles.
Still, with an offseason window as wide open as this, the opportunity to future-proof the franchise was unmistakable.
There will be other offseasons and other talents, certainly, but for a team that signaled a partial reset by letting go of long-tenured role players and bench fixtures, this period might just be remembered as an offseason of what-ifs, especially with nearly every rival undergoing sweeping roster transformations.
GALERIES TOWER: B+
The Highrisers executed the most sweeping overhaul of any team this offseason, resetting nearly every layer of the organization from players to coaches.
By the numbers alone, the scale is striking with 14 player additions, 13 departures, and 11 coaching staff changes in a wholesale reshuffling that signals both urgency and ambition.
While the new-look core looks stronger on paper than what Galeries Tower fielded in conferences past, this window can best be described as a good offseason for a young team that still had room to be better.
Among the standout moves was the appointment of veteran coaching tandem Aying Esteban and John Abella, brought in to replace former champion coach Godfrey Okumu in a shift that suggests a renewed emphasis on structure, system and long-term development.
But the most consequential acquisition, arguably not just for Galeries Tower, but across the league, was the signing of sporting icon Aiza Maizo-Pontillas.
At 37, Maizo-Pontillas instantly becomes the franchise cornerstone, injecting championship pedigree, leadership, and offensive credibility into a team that has long resided near the bottom of the standings.
That veteran presence and proven scoring class had eluded the Highrisers since their inception before securing the services of a bonafide legend in ‘Nang Aiza.’
The natural follow-up question, however, is whether Galeries Tower maximized the rest of the pieces around its newly acquired centerpiece.
The potential exists on paper, but the free agency landscape may have offered more.
There are promising additions in the mix, including finals-tested wings Erika Raagas and Cams Victoria, as well as championship libero Blove Barbon.
Jules Samonte also brings intrigue as a scoring option, one whose career has been hampered by injurie, but who remains capable of contributing when healthy.
Youth, however, remains the defining theme of this rebuild, as former collegiate standouts such as Gayle Pascual, Venice Puzon, and former best rookie of the conference Sharya Ancheta headline a group that prioritizes upside and development.
With Maizo-Pontillas now anchoring the roster, the expectation is clear: Galeries Tower must translate a good offseason into tangible improvement in form and results.
The blueprint suggests they can. Whether they actually will remains to be seen.
NXLED: A+
The single clear-cut winner of the offseason? Nxled.
On paper, it is not even close.
Whether organic or influenced by the ultimately foiled merger with Petro Gazz, the Chameleons’ player haul exemplified both quality and quantity.
Five players exited the den, but an astonishing 14 entered, headlined by three-time PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle and 10 former Angels who served as vital cogs in last year’s championship double.
A caliber player like BVS alone would have constituted a strong offseason in itself, but Nxled went further.
Among the marquee additions are two-time Finals MVP MJ Phillips and another league MVP in Myla Pablo, signings that are not merely encouraging, but outright transformative.
This A-plus offseason was the result of a decisive and aggressive rebuild, one that has elevated a long-time cellar-dweller into an immediate title contender.
The shift in perception is so stark that it would not be unreasonable to consider the two-year-old franchise as a legitimate championship favorite straight away.
Supplementing the former Angels contingent is a trio of elite talents in their own right, including Aduke Ogunsanya from Choco Mucho and the Chery Tiggo duo of Aby Maraño and Joyme Cagande to further reinforce Nxled’s depth, versatility, and championship readiness.
Beneath the headline-grabbing influx of stars, the existing Nxled core remains quietly formidable.
From Chiara Permentilla and EJ Laure-Carino to Lyann de Guzman, among others, the Chameleons already possessed pieces capable of contributing meaningfully.
What awaits head coach Ettore Guidetti, then, is a problem most teams would envy: identifying the optimal blend from a now-loaded 24-woman roster.
There are many choices to be made and roles to be defined, but this bold rebuilding phase carries the potential to turn dust into gold, perhaps as soon as the very next conference.
PLDT: B
Like its sister team Cignal, PLDT opted for a largely conservative “one in, one out” approach this offseason.
The lone addition for the High Speed Hitters was former Chery Tiggo middle blocker Seth Rodriguez, a move rooted in necessity.
With Alas middle blocker Dell Palomata set to miss the 2026 All-Filipino Conference due to her maiden overseas stint with the Medan Falcons in Indonesia’s Proliga, PLDT needed immediate frontcourt reinforcement.
In that context, the Rodriguez signing was both smart and calculated.
Moves of this nature are hardly surprising, especially when PLDT is involved.
Head coach Rald Ricafort has long leaned toward pragmatism, an approach that has consistently translated into composed performances and, more importantly, two championships last year.
His philosophy has always prioritized cohesion and role clarity over headline-grabbing acquisitions.
That same thinking was evident in PLDT’s decision to sign a non-scoring import to complement, rather than overshadow, offensive centerpiece Savi Davison.
Instead of disrupting hierarchy, the move allowed the core to grow tighter and more self-reliant in a long-term masterstroke in roster building.
This offseason, however, presented an opportunity for PLDT to deviate ever so slightly from that chemistry-first blueprint.
Given the team’s history of recurring injuries, experimenting with additional depth pieces could have provided insurance without fundamentally altering their identity.
Still, “less is more” remains the High Speed Hitters’ guiding principle.
This conservative approach appears intentional in an effort to preserve a championship-winning core rather than risk destabilizing it with unnecessary changes.
That restraint is respectable, and in PLDT’s case, difficult to argue against.
After all, few teams can point to tangible results as validation, and the High Speed Hitters already have two titles to prove that their formula works.
STRONG GROUP ATHLETICS: A
There have been several sister-team pairings in the PVL over the years, but none have approached the offseason quite the way Strong Group Athletics (SGA) did.
Rather than announcing signings directly for either Farm Fresh or ZUS Coffee, all 10 acquisitions were presented as signings of the Frank Lao–led group itself, with no immediate designation as to which player would suit up in orange or blue.
The internal arrangements may already be settled behind closed doors, but the lack of public clarity surrounding such a stacked haul makes the approach as perplexing as it is impressive.
That ambiguity becomes more apparent when examining positional fit.
For instance, both the Foxies and the Thunderbelles already boast elite, multi-awarded opposite hitters in Trisha Tubu and Jovelyn Gonzaga, respectively.
Yet SGA’s incoming class includes at least four players in Ara Galang, Mylene Paat, Royse Tubino, and Renee Peñafiel who have all taken on the opposite hitter role at various points in their careers.
Setting aside that logjam on the right wing, the rest of the acquisitions align cleanly with identifiable needs.
SGA added middle blockers Imee Hernandez and playing assistant coach Remy Palma, bolstered floor defense with liberos Bia General and Karen Verdeflor, secured a natural outside hitter in Cess Robles and landed a proven playmaker in Chie Saet.
These pieces can be distributed across both Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee, each of which has its own positional gaps, just perhaps not at the opposite.
In that sense, the haul can be viewed as a surplus, one that risks limiting the regular playing time of some newcomers who were accustomed to larger roles with their previous teams.
What tempers that concern, however, is the coaching structure SGA has assembled to manage this complexity.
Former Petro Gazz championship coach Koji Tsuzurabara is set to return to the PVL and is widely expected to take over Farm Fresh from Alessandro Lodi.
His experience and tactical discipline should help navigate what is, fundamentally, a good problem to have.
Joining him in the SGA coaching stable is Kungfu Reyes, alongside ZUS Coffee head coach Jerry Yee, who is coming off the Thunderbelles’ first-ever PVL Finals appearance at the tail end of last year.
With experienced minds overseeing two talent-rich rosters, SGA maximized both quality and quantity in the offseason market.
The blueprint is undeniably ambitious but from here, the conversation shifts from accumulation to execution.
With the new pieces in place, it’s now the results that will soon define whether this bold approach truly paid off.
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