Anticipation high over Gagate debut, even among league officials
The excitement over De La Salle University star player Thea Gagate’s jump to the pros has extended to the country’s top league officials.
PVL chair Tonyboy Liao singled out Gagate as the player he was most excited to see play in the professional league.
“Definitely, it’s Gagate because she was the first [pick] Rookie Draftee ng PVL,” Liao said in an interview at the sidelines of the PVL Reinforced Conference opening day. “She’s also playing with the national team and at the same time, she played for La Salle. [She] was very popular in the university.”
Gagate earned three UAAP Best Middle Blocker awards and a championship title from her time with powerhouse La Salle.
Out of 47 potential draftees, the 6-2 middle blocker was the top overall pick in the first PVL Rookie Draft after being selected by ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.
“I want to see if she can show her skills against the professionals because it’s her first year,” Liao said. More than that, PVL officials hope to get a full measure of Gagate’s impact with ZUS Coffee, which struggled in the last tournament. The league has said it was pinning its hopes of parity on the Rookie Draft and how the young guns perform will set the tone for that goal.
However, Gagate’s first game in the pro league with ZUS Coffee would have to wait, as the 23-year-old player is still with Alas Pilipinas to fulfill her national duties in the upcoming SEA V.League.
Liao said that the absence of the national team players from their local leagues will level the teams to the ongoing PVL Reinforced Conference.
“We will see in the first five play days if the favorites will be the ones who will keep on winning,” Liao said.
ZUS Coffee will have its first game in the conference against Petro Gazz Angels on Thursday at the PhilSports Arena. INQ
