UST OPPOSITE hitter Pierre Abellana has decided to forego her remaining eligibility and has been selected as one of the 47 applicants for the first-ever Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Draft, scheduled for Saturday, July 8.
Abellana graduated this month from the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics. She played limited minutes in her two seasons with UST, coming off the bench in all her appearances.
In UAAP Season 86, Abellana scored 11 points, comprising 10 attacks and an ace, along with nine digs and six excellent receptions.
Earlier, in 2022, Abellana stood out as part of the “Golden Trinity” alongside Xyza Gula and Regina Jurado during UST’s participation in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) tournament.
Abellana had a 23-point outing in the tournament against Adamson University.
Former UST outside hitter Mary Vernaiz also entered her name into the inaugural PVL Draft.
Vernaiz was listed as an injury reserve for the Tigresses’ Season 84 roster and participated in off-season tournaments for UST before the pandemic.
The draft lottery to determine the order will take place on Monday, June 24. Strong Group Athletics, which finished last among the 12 teams in the last All-Filipino conference, has the highest chance at 40 percent to secure the first overall pick.
Capital1 (30 percent), Galeries Tower (20 percent) and Farm Fresh (10 percent) follow in odds.
The subsequent picks will be determined by the lower-ranked teams from the previous conference, with reigning champions Creamline and runner-up Choco Mucho selecting last in each round.
Each round of the PVL Draft will feature 12 picks. The draft will conclude only when all teams in a round pass on selecting a player.
If a player is drafted but not included in a team’s official 17-player roster, she will automatically become a free agent.
A draft combine, mandatory for all applicants, will be held on June 25-26. It includes scrimmages, physical measurements, athletic exams and medical tests.
