The PVL explained why Rachel Anne Daquis’ move to the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles from sister team Farm Fresh Foxies was allowed under league rules after entering free agency.
Rachel Anne Daquis’ recent move to ZUS Coffee from Farm Fresh came as a shock to many amid the PVL’s stricter measures governing transfers between sister teams.
League officials were quick to clarify that the transfer complied with existing rules, with PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo stressing that the veteran spiker entered the offseason as a full free agent.
“Free agents can sign with any team, including her previous team’s sister team, as long as the contract expired,” Malonzo told One Sports.
“We released the trading guidelines to the teams last April 2025. It was mentioned in the document that players whose contracts have expired cannot be traded by their former teams, and are free to transfer to a different team with certain exceptions.”
Malonzo added that restrictions involving sister teams only apply in specific situations.
“An exception to transfer to a sister team would be if a player becomes a free agent by pre-terminating her contract with the original team,” he said.
Addressing sister team movements
The clarification came as the league continues to refine its policies following several high-profile sister-team transactions in recent seasons.
[ALSO READ: PVL to finalize guidelines on signing players from sister team after contracts expire]
Toward the end of 2024, the PVL announced plans for a “showcase period,” designed to give all teams a chance to sign or waive a free agent before that player could join a sister team as a last option.
The move was part of a broader response to notable swaps that raised competitive balance concerns, including the 2024 transfer of Bea De Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla from Choco Mucho to Creamline.
This included a multi-player exchange between Akari and Nxled that involved Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Trisha Genesis, Bang Pineda, Roselle Baliton, Ivy Lacsina, Dani Ravena, Kamille Cal, and Camille Victoria.
Farm Fresh itself was previously involved in similar moves, sending Kate Santiago, Joan Narit, and Chinnie Arroyo to ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.
[ALSO READ: No rookie trades, no sister teams: PVL to propose, implement trade guidelines within a year]
In Daquis’ case, the PVL emphasized that her contract with Farm Fresh had fully expired, allowing the veteran spiker to enter free agency without restrictions. That status cleared the way for her move to ZUS Coffee under the league's updated guidelines.
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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.