The Philippine Superliga came down hard on Iriga City’s Grethcel Soltones
After Soltones participated in a volleyball match outside of the on-going 2017 Chooks-to-Go Philippine Superliga Grand Prix, the PSL board decided to hand the three-time NCAA MVP a one-year suspension and a hefty PHP 50,000.00 fine due to its “One League Policy”.
Soltones ploayed in the Premier Volleyball League All-Star match last October 29, more than a week after the PSL opened the Grand Prix. Soltones even attended the official opening ceremonies held last October 28.
The PSL first implemented the One League policy in 2016. Soltones is the third player slapped with the penalty. Pau Soriano and Lilet Mabbayad were the first two hit with the suspension in 2016. The pair had played with Standard Insurance-Navy in the PSL All-Filipino Cup before jumping ship and suiting up for the Bureau of Customs in the Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference months later. Both Mabbayad and Soriano are still considered suspended.
Soltones was pivotal in Iriga’s opening day win against the Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors. The Oragons face a daunting task, missing their best local player for the rest of the Grand Prix.
Sources from within Iriga City management say they are deeply disappointed as they had a lucrative offer for Soltones to be an exclusive player and not participate in the PVL All-Star match.
“It was her decision to play there. We warned her and asked her not to play there, but, in the end, she still went through with her decision. We did everything we could to keep her,” the source said as Soltones was not under any official contract with Iriga City.
Soltones was a former PVL MVP and led the Bali Pure Water Defenders to the PVL Open Conference title alongside beloved head coach Roger Gorayeb earlier this year.
