AFTER weeks of twists, withdrawals and uncertainty atop the draft board, Galeries Tower finally found its franchise setter in Lams Lamina.
The Highrisers selected the former National University playmaker with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 PVL Rookie Draft on Wednesday, ending a process that saw the top of the class dramatically reshaped in the days leading up to draft night.
Lamina emerged as the top selection after her former college teammate and consensus No. 1 prospect Alyssa Solomon and University of the Philippines star Niña Ytang pulled out of the PVL draft one after the other.
Those withdrawals left Galeries Tower practically choosing between two of the most accomplished players remaining in the pool: Lamina and University of Santo Tomas libero Detdet Pepito.
Pepito will now be the one to reunite with last year’s No. 1 selection Bella Belen, her former elementary school teammate, at Capital1 after being drafted second overall.
On the other hand, Far Eastern University playmaker Tin Ubaldo joins the likes of Deanna Wong and Alina Bicar as Choco Mucho’s third overall pick while Mapua’s Nicole Ong became the highest-drafted NCAA standout in three years as ZUS Coffee’s fourth overall selection.
Strange Akari move
Akari took an unprecedented route by passing in Round 1, making no picks in tonight’s draft.
UAAP wingers Irah Jaboneta and Jonna Perdido then wound up fifth and sixth at Nxled and Farm Fresh, respectively, ahead of Perpetual setter Fianne Ariola being PLDT's seventh pick and Barbie Jamili the eighth selection for Creamline.
From there, only three more draftees were to be selected in Capital1's Khy Cepada (9th), Galeries Tower's Ann Asis (10th) and Akari's Ela Raagas (11th).
In what had become a projected tossup between the elite setter and the decorated defensive specialist, the Highrisers opted to bring in one of the sport’s most elite young playmakers at 24 years old.
A multiple-time Best Setter awardee across the UAAP and Shakey's Super League, Lamina served as the architect of National U’s modern-day dynasty, directing an offense that captured multiple championships during her stay at Jhocson.
Now, she takes on the challenge of running a Galeries Tower squad eager to take the next step in the PVL.
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