No surprises: Bella Belen tops PVL draft as Capital1 lands huge building block

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Future Alas Pilipinas cornerstone Bella Belen unsurprisingly goes first overall in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft as rivaling champion UAAP teams NU and La Salle produce 6 of the 12 first-round selections

MANILA, Philippines – In a widely expected move, the Capital1 Solar Spikers nabbed three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player Bella Belen as the top pick in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft held at the Novotel Manila hotel in Quezon City on Sunday, June 8.

This year’s UAAP finals protagonists and champion programs, the NU Lady Bulldogs and La Salle Lady Spikers, each produced three first-rounders while the Ateneo Blue Eagles and FEU Lady Tamaraws had a pair of players selected in the opening round.

Belen, who is currently in Vietnam playing for Alas Pilipinas under incoming head coach Jorge de Brito, is expected to help turn around the fortunes of that franchise.

The wing spiker had a recorded message played after being selected.

“It has been my dream for a long time to be a professional volleyball player,” she said in Filipino.

“Despite not being at Novotel, I’m there in spirit, and my spirit is very happy and proud for all those who got selected.”

Jean Asis, who starred in the PVL Draft Combine, went No. 2 to the Galeries Tower Highrisers in a surprise move, and now, the middle blocker looks to mature with a young core led by Alas Pilipinas setter Julia Coronel.

After a year of delay as the PVL enforced proper signing protocol, the Farm Fresh Foxies finally selected their own assistant coach, veteran Fil-Am setter Alohi Robins-Hardy, with the third overall pick, in another widely expected move.

The Nxled Chameleons then went with Ateneo star Lyann de Guzman as the fourth overall selection, as she gets guided by another foreign coach in Ettore Guidetti, after a collegiate tenure under Sergio Veloso with the Blue Eagles.

A new tower is expected to rise for ZUS Coffee, meanwhile, as the Thunderbelles selected AC Miner to pair along with last year’s top draft choice and Alas mainstay Thea Gagate.

The Cignal HD Spikers then picked Erin Pangilinan sixth overall to shore up the middle, and she now has the privilege to develop her game under coach Shaq delos Santos.

Choco Mucho selected another playmaker at seventh with Fil-Am Tia Andaya, who will now be rostered with fellow setters Deanna Wong, Mars Alba, and Jem Ferrer.

Jyne Soreño is set to complement Chery Tiggo at the wing, playing once again with fellow former La Salle standout Ara Galang, whom she trained with under the defunct F2 Cargo Movers.

Soreño’s former La Salle teammate Alleiah Malalauan, on the other hand, will play with a lot of Lady Spiker legends as the ninth overal pick of the PLDT High Speed Hitters.

For the 10th overall pick, the Akari Chargers nabbed Chenie Tagaod, who gets to play again under her head coach in FEU, Tina Salak.

The Petro Gazz Angels will look to develop a tall setter in Jules Tolentino after selecting her 11th overall, and she will now learn under ageless veteran Chie Saet and Djanel Cheng.

Meanwhile, Sheena Toring will continue to play under her NU coach, Sherwin Meneses, after being selected 12th overall by the Creamline Cool Smashers to close the opening round.

Draft proceedings continue with the second and succeeding rounds as of posting after being delayed for 15 minutes at the start due to technical difficulties. – Rappler.com