At least two companies have already expressed willingness to join the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

However, league officials refused to get excited, saying that they want to carefully study their proposals before formally naming the 12th team that will compete in the coming All-Filipino Conference.

In a message to DAILY TRIBUNE on Christmas Eve last Wednesday, PVL president Ricky Palou stressed that they are taking a cautious approach in naming the team that will serve as their new member following the disbandment of Chery Tiggo recently.

Palou said they are carefully studying and analyzing the company profile and financial capacity of the applicants to make sure that the potential 12th member of the league will have the capacity to run a professional volleyball team, which reportedly costs an average of around P70 to P80 million a year.

There’s a good reason why the PVL is exercising due diligence.

Just two years ago, Gerflor — a lowly squad that struggled during its PVL campaign — reportedly did not pay the salaries and allowances of players, coaches and utility staff on time. The squad eventually disbanded without honoring the existing contracts of its players and coaches, led by the late Sammy Acaylar. 

Fortunately for them, distinguished businessman Frank Lao came to the rescue and covered all the unpaid salaries of team members. The following year, Lao took over the franchise and rebranded the team as ZUS Coffee.

Palou said they want to make sure that the potential new team will be staying with them for a long time.

“No replacement yet, we’re still negotiating with some interested parties,” said Palou, who was serving as technical and finance chief of the Philippine Basketball Association under the late commissioner Jun Bernardino when Tanduay and Red Bull entered as expansion franchises.

“We’re not in a hurry. We just want to make sure that whoever we would invite to join the PVL will stay with us for the long term.”

The PVL, the country’s top women’s club volleyball league, lost one of its key members when Chery Tiggo decided to leave following a forgettable campaign in the Reinforced Conference, where they finished 10th with a 2-6 win-loss record.

The Crossovers said they are looking to make a strategic shift in marketing as they failed to reach the podium in the past four years, far from the glorious years they had when they were still competing under the banner of Foton in the defunct Philippine Superliga.

With that, the PVL was left with 11 members in Akari, Capital1, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Creamline, Farm Fresh, Galeries Tower, Nxled, Petro Gazz, PLDT and ZUS Coffee while stars like Aby Maraño, Ara Galang, Mylene Paat, and Jen Nierva have to look for a new team.

PVL chairman Tonyboy Liao said two teams have expressed willingness to join. He, however, refused to give a hint on the identity of the companies as negotiations are still ongoing.

“We’re talking to two teams right now,” said Liao, who is also the president of the Philippine National Volleyball League. “Sorry, I just can’t reveal their identities because we’re still negotiating.”