Chery Tiggo and top winger Eya Laure are working to meet halfway to resolve a contract issue just days before the start of the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Saturday.

Without going into details, Crossovers team manager Aaron Velez hinted about the “breakup” amid reports that the club is releasing one of the league’s biggest stars.   

“I can’t really say that it’s mutual because in any breakup, both parties go through a difficult process. Hopefully, we’ll come up with a way to resolve it,” he said.

Velez added that the management will try to settle the issue and come up with an agreement in the coming days.

“Our status now with Eya Laure is still under negotiation. Hopefully, we can actually resolve this amicably. Of course, we look after Eya’s welfare and hopefully resolve this and meet halfway for both parties,” Velez said.

“Definitely, before the PVL starts we want to resolve this also. This week most likely. Hopefully, before November 9 all will be settled.”

Velez, however, kept mum about reports that Laure signed a non-compete clause but assured that the Alas Pilipinas standout understood the provisions of her contract. 

“As mentioned because of the non-disclosure of any contract I can’t really say the entire clause, rest assured it was also read before and it was also discussed,” he added.

PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo said the league will keeping its hands off the ‘internal issue’ between Chery Tiggo and Laure.

“It’s an internal problem that they need to resolve as a team,” he said.

If Laure gets her clearance and is formally released by the Crossovers, she can sign with any club until 17 January.

“I encourage teams that have players with expiring contracts this year, not to put them on their lineup. Under league rules, you can add players, for this conference only, until January 17, but you cannot remove or change,” Malonzo said.

“In Eya’s case, it’s pre-termination. So, I encourage them to exclude her from their lineup until they resolve their issues.”

Meanwhile, Malonzo reiterated that setter Alohi Robins-Hardy must join next year’s Draft to play in the PVL despite Farm Fresh announcing that it has signed the Filipino-Hawaiian.

“Alohi is a good addition to our league. She’s a good player but because of the regulations that we created earlier this year and all the team knows about it. You have to have played from 2021 until 2024. If you’re in the lineup in any team during those periods, you are considered a veteran player, so you don’t have to go through the draft,” he said.

Robins-Hardy last suited up for Cignal in the defunct Philippine Superliga four years ago.

The 28-year-old was not in the lineup of the HD Spikers when they joined the then-newly-elevated pro league for the 2021 Open Conference Ilocos bubble.

She failed to obtain a Philippine passport in time for the tournament.