Though her heart still yearns for one final season with the University of the East, Khy Cepada made the brave decision to apply for the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Draft.
Cepada, who has been the Lady Warriors’ heart and soul through the past two challenging UAAP seasons, shared on Thursday during Day 1 of the PVL Draft Combine how she arrived at that decision.
“Yung naging desisyon ko po to go pro na is para mag-grow pa po as an individual, kasi hindi po ako nasa-satisfy lang sa kung anong meron po ako. Gusto kong matuto pa po,” said the 5-foot-6 outside hitter.
“I’m not discrediting naman po yung mga natutunan ko sa UE pero ako po kasi gusto ko pang magkaroon ng knowledge pa po sa paglalaro ng volleyball,” she added.
UE struggled in UAAP Seasons 87 and 88, going winless in both tournaments. Still, Cepada, along with a few teammates, remained a source of inspiration and a silver lining amid the difficult stretch.
During her four-year stint with the Lady Warriors, Cepada and the team only managed a total of four wins.
(C) PVL Images
Now, Cepada vows that her heart and fighting spirit, forged through those rocky years, will be her strongest assets heading into the 2026 PVL Draft on June 3.
“Yung ma-o-offer ko po sa team na magda-draft sa akin ay yung heart ko po sa paglalaro, yung pagiging palaban ko. Kasi gusto ko po ma-share yung characteristic na yun sa team na paglalaruan ko,” said the UE product.
“Siyempre po masakit sa akin na winless kami, pero ako po kasi, gusto ko pa pong mag-learn pa kasi what if po na mag-grow pa pala ako sa pro, makakakuha pa po ako ng wins,” she continued.
Ultimately, the decision to turn professional stemmed from Cepada’s desire to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a professional volleyball player.
A total of 42 aspirants have applied for this year’s draft.
“Siyempre po mahirap (yung naging desisyon) kasi I really love my teammates po, lalo na po yung mga bata kasi isa po sila sa naging factor kung bakit gusto ko pang mag-stay. Pero ngayon naman po, sinabi ko naman sa sarili ko na piliin mo naman yung pangarap mo.”
