JULIA Coronel is the second top-four pick from the inaugural PVL Draft class to leave the team that picked her.
Two years after Galeries Tower made the 24-year-old, 5-foot-9 setter the No. 3 overall pick in the league's first-ever Rookie Draft, Coronel is moving on from the Highrisers.
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Her departure follows fellow La Salle champion Leila Cruz, the No. 2 pick in the same historic class, who exited Capital1 last August.
That leaves only two of the inaugural draft's top four picks with their original teams, as the league's first drafted generation continues to undergo an early reshuffling.
Juju out, Lams in
Coronel's exit could also usher in a new era for Galeries Tower, with this year's No. 1 overall pick Lams Lamina now in line to take over the lead playmaking reins.
The National University setter joined the Highrisers after helping the Lady Bulldogs win the UAAP championship, and could now step into a bigger role following Coronel's departure.
The timing of Coronel's exit is also striking as she still represented Galeries Tower at the PVL's 10th anniversary launch on Monday, only for the Highrisers to announce the parting of ways a day later.
Coronel spent two seasons with the franchise after entering the professional ranks out of La Salle, while also earning a spot in the Alas Pilipinas Women roster.
Now, two years after being one of the faces of the PVL's landmark first draft, Coronel is looking for a new home.
For Galeries Tower, meanwhile, the move potentially clears the way for the Highrisers to fully put their faith in another prized young setter in Lamina.
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