Galeries Tower continues PVL retool with Samonte, Pascual, Puzon, Mangulabnan

The Galeries Tower Highrisers continued to retool their roster ahead of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference by adding spikers Jules Samonte and Gayle Pascual, along with setters Venice Puzon and Maji Mangulabnan.

The Highrisers announced the quartet on Tuesday, January 13, marking a total of 14 signings after a massive roster reset.

Samonte comes from the now-defunct Chery Tiggo Crossovers, adding scoring versatility to Galeries Tower’s wing rotation.

The 27-year-old Samonte has battled injuries in recent seasons, which limited her court time, but she remains a dynamic offensive threat when healthy.

Pascual, a former De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde standout, is coming in from the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles. 

A two-time NCAA Best Opposite Hitter and Finals MVP, Pascual brings proven finishing ability, though she too has faced injuries that have interrupted parts of her PVL campaign.

Puzon, meanwhile, is a back-to-back NCAA Best Setter from Seasons 97 and 98.  As the floor general for the Lyceum Lady Pirates, Puzon led her team to its first NCAA women’s volleyball Finals appearance.

Completing the group is Mangulabnan, who provides additional depth and flexibility to the Highrisers’ setter rotation after her time with the Nxled Chameleons.

The quartet joins the likes of Aiza Maizo Pontillas, Shola Alvarez, Erika Raagas, Cams Victoria, Lycha Ebon, and Erika Deloria under new head coach Aying Esteban.

[ALSO READ: Aiza Maizo-Pontillas headlines Galeries Tower's PVL offseason haul]

The 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference is set to unfurl on January 31.

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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.

Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.