From casual high school pickup games to the glitz of the Premier Volleyball League, Ivy Aquino’s volleyball journey has come full circle—this time, with a dream reunion in the professional ranks.
Selected 24th overall by Capital1 in the third round of the 2024 PVL Draft, the 25-year-old middle blocker from the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS) is set to team up once more with top overall pick Bella Belen. What began as teenage court encounters has now blossomed into a professional chapter filled with promise and sentimentality.
“Sobrang kulit [niya]. Sana maalala niya ako,” Aquino beamed, recalling her early playing days with the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player. “I hope maalala niya ako kasi pumupunta rin siya sa bahay after ng games namin. Sobrang masaya siyang kasama and at the same time ‘di siya mabigat sa loob ng court. Sobrang uplifting niya and I’m [looking] forward talaga.”
Aquino was quick to note how even back in those formative years, Belen’s natural talent and infectious energy left a mark on everyone she played with.
“Sobrang excited. Actually before, nung high school pa ako, nakakasama ko si Bella. And alam ko na sobrang gifted and talented niya talaga. I look forward na makasama uli siya sa loob ng court, at the same time nasa pro na kami.”
Joining Belen and second-round selection Pia Abbu, Aquino completes a Capital1 rookie class that reflects both star power and grassroots grit. While Belen and Abbu come with solid UAAP pedigrees, Aquino’s road to the PVL was forged through an alternate, less-traveled route.
Hailing from a non-UAAP, non-NCAA school, Aquino stands as one of the rare draftees to make it to the pros from the collegiate fringes. Her path was neither linear nor easy—but it was built on resilience, persistence, and a relentless belief in her own capabilities.
“At first, it was very difficult talaga kasi iba yung kailangan namin na mindset kasi wala kami sa UAAP, wala kami sa NCAA, ‘di kami kilalang teams, and yung mga nakakalaban namin di ganun kalalakas din,” Aquino said, speaking with unfiltered honesty.
“Pero sa sarili mo talaga, kung gusto mo, maabot mo eh. Kailangang ipu-push mo lang ang sarili mo palagi and kunin mong inspirasyon ang family mo at mga taong naniniwala sa’yo.”
That kind of resolve is exactly what Capital1 head coach Roger Gorayeb is known to value: tough-minded athletes who carry the hunger to grow and the humility to learn.
For Aquino, this is the opportunity she’s been waiting for—a chance not only to share the court with top-tier talent, but also to refine her own game under the guidance of seasoned veterans.
“Marami akong matutunan kasi ang dami ko pang gaps, especially ‘di ako galing sa NCAA or UAAP,” she admitted. “Pero gusto ko talagang matuto at alam kong makakatulong ang environment sa Capital1 para mapuno yung mga kulang ko.”
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