With Alohi Robins-Hardy ruled out, Farm Fresh is now exploring ways to best utilize the 6-foot-2 playmaker, who has already signed a contract with the squad.
Strong Group Athletics, which currently fields two teams in the Premier Volleyball League – the Foxies and ZUS Coffee – also has a team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association, the Quezon Tangerines.
If all avenues for Robins-Hardy’s eligibility in the country’s only professional volleyball league are exhausted, Farm Fresh may consider adding the former Cignal setter to its coaching staff.
“We actually discussed that possibility because it would be a waste of talent if Alohi can’t play,” said SGA legal counsel Atty. Don Kapunan during a press conference held by Farm Fresh at Gloria Maris in San Juan.
“So all possibilities are on the table, but we want to campaign and fight first for Alohi to play in the PVL,” he added.
The Foxies pursued Robins-Hardy for the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference after allegedly receiving approval from PVL president Ricky Palou.
However, league rules state that players who have not competed in the PVL since it became a professional league must enter the PVL Draft.
The league also released a list of free agents eligible for direct hiring, which did not include Robins-Hardy.
“The list of free agents was announced to us before the draft started. As I mentioned earlier, we pursued Alohi because even after the draft, our team was only six or seven players deep, and we wanted to be competitive,” said Farm Fresh team manager CK Kanapi-Daniolco.
“That’s why Boss Frank [Lao] asked President Ricky Palou if we could recruit Alohi. We were told it would be okay as long as she had a Philippine passport,” she alleged, noting that Robins-Hardy recently secured her Philippine passport.
For now, Farm Fresh management will discuss the next steps regarding the veteran setter’s future.
They also reassured that they would honor their commitment to the PVL amid rumors of a possible pullout.
“We want to take this fight as far as we can. If we reach a dead end, we’ll explore other options for Alohi,” Atty. Kapunan stated.
