Super Liga draft: Top setter to Philips Gold

Crack setter Iris Tolenada yesterday emerged as the top overall rookie pick by Philips Gold during the annual draft of talents for the coming 2015 Philippine Superliga All Filipino Conference that fires off March 22 at Mall of Asia Arena.

“I’m very thankful to be chosen the No. 1 draft pick,” said the 23-year-old Tolenada after the two-hour draft at SM Aura in Taguig City. “I hope I can bring a lot of knowledge and experience (to Philips Gold) as a setter.”

Team manager Eric Anthony Ty didn’t say how much the team is paying Tolenada or for how long they planned to sign her.

“As much as possible we would like to have her as a player in the long-term, but everything is being ironed out,” said Ty, adding they will try to make Tolenada’s pay close to what she is getting in the United States.

The 5-foot-6 Tolenada won MVP and Best Athlete awards from California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2012.

Picking second overall, Foton drew University of the Philippines middle blocker Angeli Pauline Araneta, while Cignal chose St. Benilde libero Rica Jane Enclona.

Expansion teams Shopinas and Shacman drafted Rizza Mandapat, an opposite spiker from National University, and Therese Maureen Veronas, an open-opposite spiker from St. Benilde, as their first-round picks, respectively.

Petron used its first-round option to snag Fil-Am Alexa Micek, a six-foot opposite spiker from North Carolina State.

The Blaze Spikers made their lineup all the more formidable by acquiring Aby Marano in the off-season to add to franchise player Dindin Santiago.

Second-round picks: NU middle blocker Desiree Dadang (Philips), Ateneo libero Michelle Lazaro (Foton), Arellano U setter Diane Ticar (Cignal), St. Benilde setter Djanel Cheng (Shopinas), Far Eastern U opposite spiker Samantha Dawson (Shacman), and NU setter Ivy Perez (Petron).