Eya Laure opens 2026 with blockbuster Choco Mucho move

January 4 ------ THE Eya Laure sweepstakes finally has a winner, with the Alas Pilipinas standout set to suit up for Choco Mucho in the 2026 PVL season.

Laure’s new home made the announcement right at the stroke of midnight, ushering in the new year with a bang as Choco Mucho formally unveiled her signing. She will be joined by fellow new additions in ex-Chery Tiggo setter Alina Bicar and former Nxled middle blocker Jaila Atienza, along with the returning Caitlin Viray, as the Flying Titans signal their intent to reload and contend in the upcoming season.

And in effect, Choco Mucho will feature a mini–University of Santo Tomas reunion, with Laure, Bicar and Viray set to join forces with newly crowned SEA Games beach volleyball gold medalist Sisi Rondina when the 2026 All-Filipino Conference begins in late January. A year removed from her highly-publicized shock exit from Chery Tiggo, the former PVL best outside spiker brings her act to the fan-favorite Flying Titans, where she will reunite with longtime running mate and former University of Santo Tomas co-star Sisi Rondina.

Laure’s return to the PVL comes roughly 20 months after her last league appearance in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference against PLDT. Since then, the 26-year-old winger had been sidelined by a controversial non-compete clause in her Crossovers contract, which barred her from joining another team following her exit in October last year. That restriction has now been cleared, paving the way for her long-awaited comeback.

Notably, Laure’s sister EJ and former Chery Tiggo teammate Buding Duremdes, who both left the Crossovers at the same time, were not bound by similar clauses, allowing them to immediately move on to Nxled and Cignal, respectively. Despite her absence from club play, Laure remained active on the international stage. She devoted much of her year-long hiatus to national team duties and competed in three major regional tournaments in 2025.

Laure played a key role in the Philippines’ breakthrough silver medal finish at the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup, followed by back-to-back bronze medal campaigns in both legs of the 2025 SEA V.League. She also helped power Alas Pilipinas Women to a respectable fourth-place finish in the 2025 VTV Cup. Her move to Choco Mucho not only bolsters an already formidable Flying Titans lineup but also marks one of the most significant roster additions heading into the 2026 PVL season.

Source: spin.ph