Cepada hopes wins won’t be as elusive in PVL

Khy Cepada looks forward to a fruitful pro career. —PVL IMAGES

Khy Cepada may not have experienced as many victories as she would have liked in the UAAP with University of the East, but she is raring to change that in the Premier Volleyball League.

Cepada was impressive in the two day Draft Combine held at GameVille Ball Park, displaying her athleticism and offensive prowess.

She finished among the top five in six different drills, placing 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 both the hop test reactive strength index (2.28 meters per second) and approach jump (295 centimeters).

“I joined the 2026 Rookie Draft because I want to grow more as an individual,” Cepada told the Inquirer in Filipino. “I already had my time in the collegiate ranks, and now I want to take my talent to a higher level. I’m also confident leaving UE because they still have promising recruits coming in.”

In her last two years in UE, Cepada showed her potential as a well rounded outside spiker, but it wasn’t enough to save the Lady Warriors from back to back 0-14 seasons.

But she hopes that those setbacks won’t define her as she chases her pro dream.

“One thing I always remind myself is to always play with heart. I may not have the height, but playing with heart and having the willingness to fight can take me far because I’m really passionate about what I do,” said Cepada.

“My goal now is really to earn wins in my PVL journey. I may not have been able to give UE a win last season, but hopefully this time, I’ll finally be able to contribute to winning games.”

The Draft will be held on June 3, and Cepada vows to give her all to whichever team drafts her.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes and give my all. I truly love the sport, which is why I’m very passionate every time I play. Rest assured, I’ll always do my best no matter what team I end up with,” she said.

“My edge is probably my heart and willingness to fight. People know me for being fearless and competitive inside the court. I want to continue bringing and sharing that kind of character with the team I’ll join.” INQ