NOT a few players in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opted not to renew contracts with their respective teams over the past couple of months.
Chery Tiggo-bound Risa Sato’s request to be released from her Creamline contract was granted by Rebisco management just before the start of the ongoing All-Filipino Conference.
READ: Risa Sato completes move to Chery Tiggo
Ces Molina and Riri Meneses also parted ways with Cignal over the holiday break after three years to ‘pursue opportunities abroad.’
While Sato can suit up for Chery Tiggo when league action resumes, it won’t be the same case for the embattled Molina-Meneses duo, wherever they may land.
Here’s why:
Sato can play, ‘RiCes’ can’t
Sato lodged an early termination request that was granted by Creamline before the conference started two months ago.
A mutual decision was reached not only to grant Sato’s request but also to exclude her from Creamline’s 19-player squad in the All-Filipino Conference, even with roughly two months left in her contract.
Simply put, the 30-year-old Fil-Japanese middle blocker no longer saw action for the Cool Smashers and sat out the early goings of the conference.
Entering free agency without ever being listed in Creamline’s roster this conference made Sato eligible to sign with any other PVL team and play straight away.
A memo released by the league, based on terms agreed upon by team managers in a meeting, contained the passage that explained this.
LOOK:
Tournament Rule. Contract status notwithstanding, teams may only add or register new players who have not already been registered by any team for the ongoing conference.
PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo explained this during the pre-season media launch.
“You cannot remove or change [players]. You can add. Every time you add, pwede nga ‘yan na if you add today, laro bukas pwede as long as hindi siya na-lineup sa ibang team,” he said.
“Kapag na-lineup na sa ibang team [during the conference], hindi na siya pwedeng maglaro.”
A check with the league confirmed that this new rule on midseason transfers is already in effect this conference.
“In-encourage ko ‘yung teams na if mag-eexpire na ‘yung contract ng isang player sa mother team, ‘wag niyong i-ilineup. Kapag ni-lineup niyo siya, hindi kayo nagkasundo sa usapan at umalis siya, hindi na siya makakalaro sa ibang team [this conference],” Malonzo said.
“Either to extend until the end of the conference, extend or renew for a new contract, or kung hindi na nga ie-extend or let it die a natural death kumbaga at mag-expire na ‘yung contract, ‘wag na nilang i-lineup because of our regulations sa conference na ‘to.”
Unlike Sato, Molina and Meneses were listed in the lineup of Cignal and played in all five of their matches before the league’s month-long holiday break.
Should the non-renewal of the ex-Cignal duo’s contracts stand, they cannot play for any other PVL team this conference and will have to wait for the next one later this year before returning to action.
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