Player exodus starts in PVL ahead of All-Filipino

Roster shake-ups have gathered momentum ahead of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference set to unfold late January.

Following the departure of middle blocker Dell Palomata after signing a deal with a club in Indonesia, PLDT secured a replacement in Seth Rodriguez, the club announced Saturday.

The High Speed Hitters took in a much-needed frontline muscle from the disbanded Chery Tiggo to fill the void left by Alas Pilipinas mainstay Palomata, who joined the Yogya Falcons for her overseas stint.

Rodriguez will bolster the two-time champion club’s net defense alongside Majoy Baron and Mika Reyes.   

On the other hand, Creamline parted ways with Michelle Morente as the franchise continued to open up its roster spots to inject new pieces for its redemption bid in the all-local tourney tentatively scheduled to begin on 31 January.

Morente was the latest veteran to be unloaded by the Cool Smashers following a title-less 2025 campaign.

“Thank you, Momo, for the grit, effort, and heart you brought to every game,” the club said through a social media post.

“We’re grateful for the good vibes you shared.”

Morente, who recently tied the knot with Cool Smashers middle blocker Pangs Panaga, had a short stint with the Rebisco team.

She suited up for the 2025 Reinforced Conference, albeit in a minimal role for the stacked Creamline squad.

Earlier this week, the Cool Smashers released their pioneering seasoned players, Pau Soriano and Rizza Mandapat.

Creamline is looking to shore-up its lineup after dismal results in four tournaments last year following a historic grand slam in 2024.

The 10-time PVL champions settled for silver in the AFC won by Petro Gazz before finishing third in the inaugural pre-season conference, On Tour, and in the Invitational, both won by PLDT.

The Sherwin Meneses-mentored team had its worst tournament result since joining the league in 2017, with a sixth-place finish in the year-ending Reinforced Conference after getting knocked out by the eventual champion Angels in the quarterfinal.

Meanwhile, libero Bia General joined Strong Group Athletics, the stable of Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee, after exiting Choco Mucho.

Her Flying Titans teammate Royse Tubino earlier signed with SGA.

Setter Chie Saet also inked a deal with SGA after leaving Petro Gazz.

Judith Abil was let go by Cignal after one season, defense specialist Julia Angeles exited ZUS Coffee after a two-year stint and middle blocker Joy Dacoron also parted ways with Petro Gazz.