ZUS Coffee drafts 20-year-old Angela Jackson, making her the youngest player in PVL history

The second Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft was held on Sunday, June 8, at the Novotel Manila hotel in Quezon City, amid great fanfare and high expectations for the 60 draft applicants.

While University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) standout Bella Belen was selected as the first overall pick by the Capital1 Solar Spikers in an expected move, the biggest surprise of the night was the selection of Angela Jackson by the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles in the fourth round.

Her selection made Jackson the youngest player ever drafted into the PVL at just 20 years old. It also came as a surprise, considering she has no collegiate experience. The young star opted to skip the college level after representing the University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS), following the advice of her coach, who encouraged her to turn professional directly.

#PVLDraft2025 #PVL2025 @spinph

YOUNG BLOOD ON THE RISE (1/2)

Hear from Mary Angela Jackson, the youngest draft applicant at 20 years old, on entering the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft. pic.twitter.com/jpd24BPsLW

— John Mark Garcia (@johnmarkdg_) May 30, 2025

“My mentor and I had planned for me to go straight to the pros after high school,” Jackson said in a media interaction. “By the time I graduated, PVL had introduced the age limit of 21 years old. So with the draft now available, I felt like the process was more streamlined.”

“I saw it as a sign to go for it, since I’m turning 21 soon anyway. The biggest advantage, I think, is exposure. If you get the chance to make the lineup, that’s already something, even if exposure isn’t always guaranteed,” she added.

The opposite spiker enters the PVL as a relatively unknown figure, lacking the experience of other rookies who typically come from UAAP or NCAA programs. Despite this, Jackson is excited to embrace the challenge of stepping into unfamiliar territory.

“I take it as maybe I have more leeway since I’m the youngest, so I try not to pressure myself too much. But yes, of course, I do feel the anxiety since everyone is older than me. Still, I expect myself to keep up with them, even though I’m the youngest,” she added.

It’s worth noting that Jackson took a calculated risk by entering the draft—had she not been selected, she would have lost her eligibility to play in the UAAP or NCAA. It will be intriguing to see how she performs in her debut season, as she looks to learn from the league’s established stars.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.