THE first overall pick may have move in at Galeries Tower, but the starting setter job remains far from settled.
By selecting National U playmaker Lams Lamina atop the 2026 PVL Rookie Draft, the Highrisers did not just add one of the most accomplished prospects in this year's class, but also set the stage for an intriguing positional battle with incumbent setter Julia Coronel.
READ WHO WENT WHERE: Only 11 of 38 rookie hopefuls picked in PVL Draft
The onetime La Salle playmaker has been the Highrisers' primary floor general since arriving as the No. 3 pick in the 2024 Draft, emerging as one of the cornerstones of Galeries Tower's build into a contender.
Now, she helps welcome another national team-caliber setter into the fold.
“We have a very talented set of spikers din naman and obviously right now, we really need more help in terms of, I would say, also playmaking," Coronel said.
“I'm very excited to see our dynamic moving forward; kung paano kami magtutulungan, knowing the set of skills and talents that we already have in the team. That is something that we will have to see pa moving forward in practice on how the coaches will be able to instill new systems with our new additions to the team.”
Coronel and Lamina, indeed, are hardly strangers, as the two have crossed paths through Alas Pilipinas, where both earned opportunities to run the offense on the international stage.
This time, they will be competing and collaborating under the same club banner, with veteran setter Maji Mangulabnan providing another capable option.
For Highrisers head coach Aying Esteban, drafting Lamina was less about creating competition and more about securing a position he considers too important to leave vulnerable.
“Sa posisyon namin, hindi kami pwedeng sumugal na dalawa lang ‘yung setters namin. Hindi namin alam kung ano ‘yung pwedeng mangyari minsan. At least, may pang-fill in pa rin kami at makukumpleto ‘yung lineup namin, at sa roster namin ay magiging ok pa rin kami," he said.
Safe to say, the veteran mentor simply could not pass on a 24-year-old setter whose championship pedigree helped power the Lady Bulldogs into a collegiate dynasty.
Not your typical rookie
While Lamina enters the league as a rookie, she intends to not just follow her leaders and seniors, but also to teach and leave an early imprint of her own.
“Healthy competition po ‘yun sa amin ng mga ates ko. Ako, as a rookie, ipapakita ko lang po talaga ‘yung best ko, kung ano po mga natutunan ko sa NU ay bibit ko talaga sa team at maishe-share ko rin po sa mga ates ko," she said.
“Rookie pa lang po ako dito sa PVL, pero same naman po na I will work professionally, with my 100-percent effort, discipline, and work ethic ko po.”
For a franchise still trying to climb the PVL ladder, Lamina's arrival gives Galeries Tower another proven playmaker and another voice capable of steering the offense.
Who ultimately wins the starting setter role remains to be seen, but with Lamina, Coronel, and Mangulabnan all in the mix, the Highrisers suddenly have one of the most promising setter pools in the league.
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