Another Premier Volleyball League club has taken a leave for the upcoming 2022 season.
Perlas has announced that it won’t participate in the country’s only professional women’s volleyball league this year. It cited the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.
“We regret to inform everyone that with the ongoing pandemic, the Perlas management has decided to take a leave of absence in the upcoming PVL tournament.”
Rumors surfaced that Perlas would not participate this season after the majority of its mainstays switched teams.
Dzi Gervacio moved to F2 Logistics; Jem Ferrer joined Choco Mucho; while Nicole Tiamzon signed with Petro Gazz.
Other Perlas players that switched teams were Cherry Nunag (Choco Mucho) and Gel Cayuna (Cignal).
This would also mean that Jho Maraguinot, Jules Samonte, Mich Morente, Roma Joy Doromal, Heather Guino-o, Thang Ponce, Sue Roces, Czarina Carandang, and Jeanette Villareal will also become free agents.
Perlas has had quite a run in the PVL over the past four years.
Debuting in 2017, the team finished a respectable fifth place during the Open and Reinforced Conference of that year.
In 2018, Perlas broke into the podium, finishing in third place in the two tournaments.
They were able to sustain the momentum a year later, finishing fourth in the Reinforced Conference. Then they finished with bronze around their necks in the Open.
Disastrous was the campaign of Perlas in the 2021 Open Conference as the team struggled with COVID prior. They finished with a 1-8 record for ninth place.
Perlas’ last tournament came in the PNVF Champions League, finishing in fourth place among the six competing teams. The bottom two teams were amateur squads.
This leaves Chery Tiggo, Creamline, Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, Army, PLDT, BaliPure, and Cignal as the teams competing in this year’s edition of the Open Conference.
“We wish the tournament well and we continue to support the growth of Philippine volleyball.”
