Kianna Dy’s comeback story reads like a testament to resilience, patience, and sheer determination. More than two years after a devastating knee injury, the 5-foot-10 opposite spiker is on the verge of reclaiming her place among volleyball’s elite.
Dy and her PLDT teammates punched their ticket to the 2025 PVL On Tour preseason championship match with a gutsy 27-25, 22-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-10 upset over Creamline on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It has been two years and a month since Dy tore her right knee during the PVL Invitational Conference semifinals on July 20, 2023, when she was still suiting up for the now-defunct F2 Logistics Cargo Movers. What followed was an arduous 18-month journey of rehabilitation before she finally returned to the court on January 28 this year.
Since that return, Dy has been methodically rediscovering her rhythm. Her strong performances in this PVL On Tour campaign now have her emerging as one of PLDT’s primary scoring weapons — a far cry from the uncertain days immediately after her injury.
“Very heartwarming kasi it’s been a long time din since I played na ganito katagal, coming off an injury for one and a half years. Now that we’re in the Finals, super nakakataba ng puso,” Dy shared.
She added, “It’s really hard mentally if coming from an injury, you feel like you’re not gonna be the same anymore. It’s all about the mental side talaga eh. You just think of it like there’s nowhere to go but up coming from an injury.”
The 27-year-old spiker reflected on overcoming both physical and mental hurdles. “Na-overcome ko na yung mga pains and everything. Now that we have a chance to win a championship, ito na talaga. We have to work and double the effort.”
On Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, PLDT will face Chery Tiggo in the gold medal match — a clash that promises high drama as Dy will reunite with some familiar faces across the net.
Alongside teammates Kim Fajardo, Majoy Baron, and Mika Reyes, Dy will confront fellow De La Salle alumni Ara Galang and Aby Maraño, who are leading Chery Tiggo in their bid for the title. Maraño, Galang, Baron, Fajardo, and Dy were all part of F2 Logistics’ last championship run in the now-defunct Philippine Superliga in 2019, and also part of the Cargo Movers’ final PVL roster.
“Mini reunion pero sa Sunday, hindi muna kami friends,” Dy said with a laugh.
“It’s weird seeing them on the other side of the court, but you know, everything happens for a reason. I guess we were really meant to go our separate ways. Ngayon, it’s gonna be nice to play against them.”
