For former De La Salle University playmaker Ela Raagas, being drafted into the Premier Volleyball League is more than just a personal milestone — it is also a reunion and a homecoming.
Selected by Farm Fresh as the 11th overall pick in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Draft, Raagas will reunite with the very first mentor who saw her potential: Kungfu Reyes, who currently serves as an assistant coach with the Foxies.
Long before she made her move to Taft, Raagas first learned the ropes of the sport under Reyes during her junior high school days with the University of Santo Tomas girls’ volleyball team — a program that still has Reyes as its head coach to this day.
Her brief stint with the Junior Golden Tigresses was highlighted when Reyes’ mentorship helped Raagas capture the Season 82 girls’ volleyball Rookie of the Year plum.
“At the same time, gaya ng sabi ko, sobrang excited po ako to play with the veteran players. And like, naging coach ko rin po si Coach Kungfu, like way back junior high school po and excited din po ako na maging coach po siya ulit,” Raagas told reporters on Wednesday evening at Novotel Manila in Cubao.
(C) PVL Images
As she prepares for the challenges that await her in the PVL, Raagas doesn’t just have Reyes as a familiar figure of guidance. She is also set to draw inspiration from her former La Salle teammates in Akari’s Mars Alba, NXLED’s Jules Tolentino, and Galeries Tower’s Julia Coronel, all of whom coincidentally play the setter position as well.
Having witnessed their relentless work ethic firsthand during their collegiate days under the guidance of decorated tactician Ramil de Jesus, Raagas looks up to the trio of talented setters as she navigates the professional ranks.
Alba helped steer the Chargers to a podium finish in the 2025 Reinforced Conference, while Tolentino played a pivotal role as the now-defunct Angels ruled the same tournament. Coronel has since become the team captain of a rebuilding Highrisers side.
“Step by step po kasi nga sila Ate Mars and Ate Jules po, alam ko po lahat ng pinagdaanan nila kasi nga po naging teammates ko po sila,” she said.
“Siguro naging role model ko din po sila, unti-unti parang it’s just the beginning of a long journey.”
