By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Five Negros Occidental-based rookie aspirants have been selected during the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft at Novotel Manila on Sunday night, June 8.

Erika Jin Deloria bannered the Negrense players picked up after being drafted by the Chery Tiggo Crossovers as their eighth overall selection in the second round.

Deloria, a former Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts standout, said she was overwhelmed to be selected early in the second round despite coming from a non-UAAP or NCAA school.

“I am overwhelmed kasi masasabi ko na I am under the radar [in this rookie draft],” said Deloria, currently a member of Enderun College Titans women’s volleyball team.

“Dati ang pangarap ko [nung nasa Bacolod pa ako] is to be able to play sa UAAP, but hindi ‘yun natupad,” she said.

“God has better plans for me. I am so overwhelmed,” she added.

Aside from Deloria, the Crossovers also selected San Beda University Lady Red Spikers star Rayann Cañete, a native of Negros Occidental’s Sagay City, in the fourth round.

Other Western Visayas-based volleybelles selected are Ann Monares (Farm Fresh Foxies, No. 4 pick 2nd round), Jessa Ordiales (Cignal HD Spikers, No. 6 pick 2nd round), and Joan Doguna (Akari Power Chargers, No. 7 pick 3rd round).

Monares was a former standout of the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, Ordiales was a member of the De La Salle University Lady Spikers, and Doguna recently played for the Lyceum Lady Pirates.

Meanwhile, those undrafted players will now enter the league’s free agent pool and are now free to tryout and sign with any of the 12 teams in the PVL./ASC, WDJ