MANILA – Bacolodnon setter Maria Arielle Estrañero will form part of the Cignal HD Spikers team that will compete in the 2021 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference next month.
In a social media announcement recently, HD Spikers confirmed the signing of the former University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons star setter to bolster their squad.
Estrañero, a former standout of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City, came to terms with HD Spikers after a two-year stint with Motolite Power Builders, which was disbanded due to the pandemic.
She was a part of the Lady Maroons’ Final Four run in 2016 and delivered the championship-clinching ace in the PVL Collegiate Conference 2018 that ended the school’s 36-year volleyball title drought.
During her five-year stint with the Fighting Maroons, she played for multiple positions, including attacker and libero before converted to setter by head coach Godfrey Okumu.
The 24-year-old Estrañero is the third Western Visayas-based player in the HD Spikers squad aside from former Central Philippine University stars Fiola Ceballos of Bingawan, Iloilo and Jovelyn Gonzaga of Guimaras.
Aside from them, HD Spikers lineup is composed of Fil-Am setter Alohi Robins-Hardy, spikers Rachel Anne Daquis, May Luna, and Janine Marciano, and middle blockers Ranya Musa and Roselyn Doria.
The HD Spikers are playing in the PVL for the first time since the team was formed during Philippine Superliga’s inauguration eight years ago.
Cignal will be one of the nine teams competing in the upcoming PVL season aside from defending champion Creamline Cool Smashers, Petro Gazz Angels, BanKo Perlas Spikers, BaliPure Purest Water Defenders, Chef’s Classics Lady Red Spikers, Choco Mucho Flying Titans, PLDT Home Fibr Hitters, and Peak Form./PN
