The Premier Volleyball League will give newcomer Strong Group Athletics a little more time to build a competitive lineup with just a little over three weeks before the start of the All-Filipino Conference.
Participating teams were given until Friday (2 February) to submit their respective rosters for the season-opening tournament set to begin on 20 February.
However, the PVL allowed SGA, one of the two new teams set to make their debuts in the league, to defer the club’s submission of its roster until next week.
“Hopefully, they can send us their lineup by the middle of next week,” PVL president Ricky Palou said.
“(But) right now, from what I heard, they still have zero players because they were not able to conduct tryouts yet.”
SGA, the second team of the Frank Lao-owned franchise after Farm Fresh, took over the spot of the embattled Gerflor early last month but has yet to make an official announcement about its core and on who will take the coaching reins.
On the other hand, the other expansion squad, Capital1 Solar Energy, has already bared the names of 16 of its 21 players in its roster. Multi-titled head coach Roger Gorayeb will handle the sisters Milka and Mandy Romero-owned club, which replaced the disbanded F2 Logistics.
Teams in need of players can tap student-athletes from the National Collegiate Athletics Association if they can get permission from their schools and secure a special guest license from the Games and Amusement Board.
An SGL will allow student-athletes to play in the PVL without forfeiting their eligibility in the collegiate ranks.
“If they can secure the requirements then that’s fine with us,” Palou said.
“They can do that with NCAA (players) but I don’t think it’s possible because of the possibility of conflict of schedule with their league.”
The NCAA will open its Season 99 competition in April.
Farm Fresh fielded players from reigning back-to-back NCAA champion College of Saint Benilde last year.
Student-athletes from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, however, cannot play in the PVL if they are still with their respective schools.
Despite some delays with SGA’s team roster, Palou is confident the league will remain a 12-club field.
“I’m quite confident of that because SGA is determined to make their debut in this conference,” he said.
Powerhouse Creamline will try to defend its crown against a very competitive field.
