Jean Asis surged through the PVL Draft board, taken second overall by the Galeries Tower Highrisers just behind three-time UAAP MVP Bella Belen.
Jean Asis will be looking to repay the trust of her new team Galeries Tower Highrisers as she was selected second overall in the stacked 2025 PVL Rookie Draft at the Novotel Manila in Cubao on Sunday night.
Aside from consensus no. 1 pick Bella Belen, it was really a toss-up among the other aspirants, depending on what the teams needed from their rookies.
In an unexpected turn, the middle blocker from FEU went second overall and is headed towards Galeries Tower, who are coming off of a historic playoff berth in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference, one that saw them enter the postseason for the first time.
After hearing her name called after Belen, Asis was ecstatic and is now looking forward to work her way up in the team.
“Sobrang saya po. Ang dami namin, pero ako ‘yung nabigyan ng chance na maging second pick. Sobrang thankful sa coaches ng Galeries na pinagkatiwalaan nila ako sa posisyon na ‘to,” she said.
“Siguro for me, bilang balik, I’ll do my best po sa mga trainings and upcoming games.”
Despite their breakthrough conference, Galeries Tower is still a budding team in the PVL, but with Asis having experience in contender teams, she’s excited to replicate what they were able to do in FEU in the UAAP.
In a few years time, Asis and the Lady Tamaraws were able to turn their fates around with Final Four appearances in her last two years in the UAAP.
Now in a similar situation with Galeries, she hopes to do the same.
“Siguro, since I have experience na rin sa FEU from eighth to Final Four, siguro I want to help din ‘yung Galeries to tumaas din ‘yung rank sa PVL. Hindi siya madali, pero we will try our best [as] a team na ma-achieve ‘yung ganung goals,” she said.
Asis was among standouts in the draft combine held a week before the draft night. The impact of the combine was not amiss on the rookie.
“For me, sobrang nakatulong siya. Sa combine kasi ipapakita mo kung paano ka talaga magpe-perform. So shinow ko lang paano talaga nagpe-perform and siguro nakatulong 'yun for coaches na makita kung ano po talaga 'yung potential na meron ako,” she said.
Asis joins Winnie Bedaña of the Perpetual Lady Altas as Galeries Tower's draft picks. The Highrisers only participated in the first two rounds of the draft.