Gorayeb has one player in his mind on rookie pick — Belen
CAPITAL1 coach Roger Gorayeb, when asked whom he will exercise their No. 1 rookie pick on, has one player in his mind alone — Mhicaela “Bella” Belen.
“I’m Belen,” said the multi-titled mentor a day after the three-time UAAP champion and MVP from National University officially confirmed she’ll be joining the Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft next week at the Novotel Hotel.
“We need her style of play, she will blend perfection with our team. That’s we will really choose the best talent available,” he added.
Ms. Belen, who is also an Alas Pilipinas standout, is expected to be the Solar Spikers’ franchise player as soon as she’s drafted and will join a team that already has talent in middle blocker Leila Cruz and libero Roma Mae Doromal, who were picked second and 14th, respectively, in last year’s draft class, and veteran setter Iris Tolenada.
Ms. Belen was one of the 60 draft applicants, including seven Filipino-foreign players, that is hoping to find a team in the coming season in this pro-league run by Sports Vision.
It was bigger than last year’s inaugural draft where 47 applied.
The Mandy and Milka Romero-owned club is hoping to improve on its seventh-place finish in the Reinforced Conference and 11th-place efforts in the two All-Filipino tilts a season ago.
And Ms. Belen is expected to spearhead the charge. — Joey Villar
