ZUS Coffee head coach Jerry Yee confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that his team will pick De La Salle middle blocker Thea Gagate with the first overall pick in the inaugural Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft set for July 8.
Yee will now call the shots for the Thunderbelles, previously known as Strong Group.
He said that the selection is pending management approval, but it was agreed that they’ve been eyeing Gagate for the top spot.
“Meron, parang consensus naman yun kung sino yung number one diyan. Plus kailangan mo yung height, mobility,” said Yee when asked who are they looking to select with the first pick.
“Teka ha, kasi wala pang approval ng management. Pero yeah, I think we all agreed on the first name we’ve wanted is Thea, Thea sana. So I’m here to look at the 13th pick,” he continued.
(C) Nicks Hernandez/UAAP Season 86 Media Team
Gagate is a member of the Alas Pilipinas Women, which made history by bagging bronze in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup last May in Manila.
She also won three consecutive Best Middle Blocker awards during her three-year stay at La Salle, along with one championship in Season 85.
Yee attended Day 1 of the PVL Draft Combine at the Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong City. There, the 47 rookie hopefuls will undergo individual tests, along with some free agents looking to be directly hired.
The Thunderbelles will rely heavily on the draft as well as the free agents as they still need to fill many remaining spots on their team.
“At ZUS marami pa kaming slots na pupunuin, one in each position pa lang ang meron or two usually you have to have three or four per position,” said Yee, who coached Farm Fresh last season.
