MANILA, Philippines – In a surprise move, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opted to replay the first two games of the 2025 Reinforced Conference after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) finally signed the clearances of all 12 league imports on Wednesday, October 8.

The Philippines’ only pro volleyball league said the move was done “in agreement among the participating teams, in the spirit of fairness and competitive parity” and with the aim of “delivering the best possible experience to our supporters.”

This means that the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, who won a five-set thriller against the Akari Chargers, and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, who escaped the Bella Belen-led Capital1 Solar Spikers in a tight sweep, are now back to zero in their respective win-loss columns in Pools A and B.

All this is the fallout of the PVL blasting the PNVF for its alleged “unprofessional” and “obstructionist” behavior regarding the imports’ International Transfer Certificates (ITC), the final document needed by reinforcements to ply their craft on Philippine shores.

The league also alleged that the long-controversial local federation used the ITCs as “leverage” to further compress the Reinforced Conference schedule in favor of longer Alas Pilipinas Women national team training for December’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

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PVL blasts ‘unprofessional, obstructionist’ PNVF for lack of import clearances

Cooler heads quickly prevailed, however, as the PVL raises the curtain a second time on Thursday, October 9, at the City of Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite.

The new conference debut now features formidable contenders Petro Gazz Angels taking on the retooling Galeries Tower Highrisers at 4 pm, while the fast-rising Farm Fresh Foxies clash with the dangerously unpredictable Nxled Chameleons at 6:30 pm.

Regarding the ZUS-Akari and Choco Mucho-Capital1 matches, the PVL said they will be replayed on a later date, likely pushing back the November 27 knockout final — already a source of renewed contention between the PVL and PNVF — to November 30.

“The upcoming replays will allow all teams to compete with their complete rosters, including their respective imports, ensuring the full excitement and high-level competition our fans expect,” the league’s statement continued.

“We thank our players, teams and supporters for their understanding as we work to uphold the integrity and quality of PVL matches.” – Rappler.com