After years of trading the volleyball court for fashion runways, 39-year-old Rose Pinuela is finally returning to the sport she never stopped loving — becoming the oldest applicant in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft.
Once a promising outside hitter from Olivarez College, Pinuela put her volleyball career on hold after being scouted to pursue modeling. The glitz of the industry gave her new experiences, but her love for the game never wavered.
“Siguro ano, just follow your passion. Ako kasi, it’s my passion. Kasi, andami kasing discrimination sa life ko eh. For me, I’m always like positive kaya gusto ko ipagpatuloy ‘yung passion ko,” Pinuela shared.
Her return to volleyball wasn’t an easy decision. Critics questioned her ability, her age, and her experience — but she stayed focused on her goal.
(C) PVL Images
“Maraming nangungutya na, ‘Di mo ’yan kaya,’ pero thank God, nandito ako ngayon. Kaya pinagpatuloy ko ’yung passion ko sa volleyball ’cause this is my dream,” said the 5-foot-7 spiker.
Pinuela recalled how her best friend pushed her to come back: “Actually, tinigil ko kasi siya eh dahil, ayun nga, pinush ko ’yung pagmo-model kasi someone discovered me, and I tried it. Then now, my best friend told me, ‘Why not? It’s your passion, so go for it — follow your dreams, follow your goals in life’.”
While most players in the 60-player draft pool come with competitive collegiate backgrounds, Pinuela doesn’t see her lack of high-profile credentials as a disadvantage. Instead, she sees her persistence and optimism as her greatest strengths.
“Hindi naman ako galing sa NCAA or, you know, mga sikat na schools. Pero basta, I’ll try my very best na makasali dito, makapasok dito. Medyo kinakabahan, andon, pero push lang natin kung anong gusto natin. Laban lang.”
At an age when many athletes have already retired, Pinuela is starting over — fueled by resilience, courage, and the dream she never gave up on.
“I just want to follow my goal and dreams in life, kasi ayokong gumive up. Yeah, just never give up. Kung ano ‘yung passion niyo, pagpatuloy niyo lang,” she said.
#WATCH: At 39, full-time model Rose Joy Pinuela is chasing her dream by joining the #PVLDraft 🏐
📹 Jonash Dannug/Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/EXy1XYnIEg
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 30, 2025
