Jamili, Cepada Shine in 2026 PVL Draft Combine Performance Tests

Outside hitters Barbie Jamili and Khy Cepada stood out among 42 aspirants during the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Draft Combine at Gameville Ballpark in Mandaluyong.

Day 1 of the combine on Thursday focused on anthropometric measurements and a series of performance tests conducted by the Valor Performance Institute, assessing speed, power, reactive strength, and durability.

Jamili impressed across multiple drills, posting the fastest 10-meter sprint at 1.759 seconds, the top pro agility 5-10-5 time at 5.109 seconds, and the highest reactive strength index in the hop test at 3.36 meters per second.

“Ang maooffer ko lang po is gawin ko yung best ko para makahelp sa team and I’m willing naman po to learn din,” Jamili said.

Other notable performances included six-foot-one opposite hitter Alyssa Solomon, who recorded the highest vertical reach at 300 centimeters, and middle blocker Niña Ytang, who led the approach jump at 311 centimeters. Libero Lara Mae Silva topped the countermovement jump with 46.4 centimeters.

Cepada also delivered a strong showing, finishing among the top five in six different drills. The University of the East standout placed second in both the 10-meter sprint (1.776 seconds) and countermovement jump (44.7 centimeters), third in the pro agility 5-10-5 test (5.133 seconds), and fifth in the hop test reactive strength index (2.28 meters per second) and approach jump (295 centimeters).

“Nagulat ako ang lalaki ng players plus maganda rin ‘yung measurements sa Valor, maraming athletic ngayon. Ang ganda ng quality ng players this class,” said PVL Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo.

He added, “May pang measure din ‘yung Valor sa strength ng braso; makikita mo kung gaano kalakas ‘yung upper body strength nila, which translates mostly sa palo or sa bato ng set and even sa floor defense kasi mas malakas upper body mo, mas maganda ang ball control.”

Day 2 of the combine featured position-specific scrimmages, allowing draftees who applied for multiple roles to showcase their versatility in separate games.

The PVL Draft is set for June 3 at Galeries Tower, with Galeries holding the first overall pick. Capital1 selects second, followed by Choco Mucho, ZUS Coffee, Akari, Nxled, Farm Fresh, PLDT, and Creamline.