Overtime

PLDT MAKES PVL COMEBACK, ADDS SOYUD, BASAS, GABARDA, VIRAY TO ROSTER

PLDT Home Fibr further added depth to its team announcing four new additions in Eli Soyud, Chin Basas, Mariella Gabarda, and Nieza Viray ahead of its leap to the Premiere Volleyball League (PVL).

/ 6 February 2021

The announcement of the new signings was made by the team through their official Facebook page a day after Head Coach Roger Gorayeb confirmed that the team will be returning to the Sports Vision-managed league after six years.

Soyud, 25, had played for De La Salle University and Adamson University and had joined Motolite in 2019.

The 5-foot-10 veteran spiker had been awarded as Best Open Hitter in 2017 during the PVL Collegiate Conference and clinched the Best Opposite Spiker in 2018 with the Lady Falcons.

Basas, 5-foot-8, played as an opposite spiker way back her collegiate stint with Far Eastern University.

The former Lady Tamaraw won the Best Opposite Spiker in the Shakeys V League in 2016 and Best Opposite Spiker plum in the PVL Collegiate Conference the following year.

Gabarda will be foregoing her last year of eligibility with the University of the East and will be joining the Power Hitters campaign in the PVL.

The trio was acquired from Generika-Ayala after the team made its leave in the Philippine Superliga (PSL) due to the coronavirus scare.

While San Beda’s Viray is a two-time beach volleyball MVP during NCAA Season 93 and 94 and bagged the Rookie of the Year plum in Season 91. She also had a stint with Chef’s Classics for two years.

Gorayeb will be making Viray his new project as he will be turning the 5-foot-5 spiker into PLDT’s libero seeing her floor defense in her beach volleyball campaign.

Maganda naman yung paglalaro niya sa beach volleyball, lalo sa receive. Bibigyan ko siya ng chance na maging isang libero,” said Gorayeb.

Unlike Gabarda, Viray will still be able to play for San Beda as she availed the GAB’s special guest license allowing her to play in the league.

According to the head coach, more newly acquired players will be revealed by the team in the next few days.