Debutants from Alas, returning stars spice up PVL All-Filipino opener

Games Saturday

(PhilSports Arena)

4 p.m. - Galeries vs Akari

6:30 p.m. - Petro Gazz vs Choco Mucho

MANILA, Philippines -- The debuts of Alas Pilipinas standouts Thea Gagate and Julia Coronel, and the return battle-scarred Rachel Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga are expected to add to the buzz that the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference has been generating as it unfurls Saturday, November 9, at the PhilSports Arena.

Gagate will finally get to play as a pro after being picked first by ZUS Coffee in the league’s historic rookie drafting early this year while Coronel, the No. 3 pick, will also suit up for the first time with Galeries Tower.

Gagate and Coronel missed the league’s first two conferences this season due to national team commitments.

Daquis, who last played for Cignal before going on a one-year hiatus, will make a comeback with Farm Fresh while Gonzaga, who also suited up for a conference with Cignal early this year, gets some piece of the action again as she was acquired by Zus.

Both Daquis and Gonzaga should provide the veteran presence that their youth-laden teams desperately need.

Interestingly, Gonzaga will team up with Gagate and a Zus team that also boasts of 2024 NCAA Most Valuable Player Cloanne Mondoñedo, Jade Gentapa, Michele Gamit and Gayle Pascual of three-time unbeaten NCAA champion College of St. Benilde.

For Daquis, she will be mentoring a promising squad consisting of Trisha Tubu, Ciatlin Viray and Louie Romero.

The conference will be unfurled with Galeries Tower and Akari colliding at 4 p.m. and Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho clashing at 6:30 p.m.