For the first time in their young volleyball careers, sisters Khy and IC Cepada found themselves on opposite sides of the net — not as teammates, but as competitors.
And while the scoreboard favored the younger IC and the powerhouse National University Lady Bulldogs, the elder Khy still walked away with a smile.
She only wanted to cherish the rare moment of facing her sister under the bright lights of the SM Mall of Asia Arena in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
At first, the elder Cepada admitted she wasn’t used to seeing IC on the other side of the net, donning the gray-and-gold of the Lady Bulldogs.
“Okay lang naman, though aaminin ko na hindi pa ako sanay kasi dati nung pandemic, sanay ako na lagi ko siya kasama maglaro. Ako yung spiker tapos siya yung nagre-receive,” said KC, who tallied seven points on five attacks in the loss, in an interview with Tiebreaker Times.
“Naninibago pero happy ako sa paths na tinatahak namin ngayon.”
The gap between their teams was stark, with NU securing its fourth straight victory with a dominant 25-12, 25-11, 25-20 win over UE.
The Lady Warriors, meanwhile, struggled to find their footing, opening the season at 0-4 after losing key players Casiey Dongallo and Jelai Gajero in the offseason.
Despite the tough loss, Khy beamed with pride, knowing her younger sister was making her mark in her rookie year with NU.
“Kahit iba yung sitwasyon namin ngayon — ako nasa isang rebuilding team at siya nasa champion team — mas nakaka-proud ‘yon para sa akin ‘eh. Ibig sabihin ‘non we have made our own marks and are continuing to make our mark sa UAAP,” the 21-year-old outside spiker added.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
From high school — where IC was named Best Libero with the Lady Bullpups in Season 86 — to slowly earning a spot in head coach Sherwin Meneses’ rotation with the Lady Bulldogs, her fighting spirit was no surprise.
After all, determination runs deep in the Cepada family.
In limited action, IC impressed with five excellent digs in her first collegiate matchup against her older sister.
“Instinct naman sa amin na maging palaban talaga. Nasa dugo na namin ‘yon na maging palaban. Wala akong problema na sabihan siya kasi I know na she can manage naman yung sinasabi ko sa kanya, and alam niya na for the best niya ‘yon,” said Khy, a former UST Junior Golden Tigress.
“Enjoy lang niya yung collegiate level na league, which is UAAP. I know na marami pa siyang taon para maglaro, so enjoyin niya lang.”
IC shared the same sentiment — she wasn’t used to seeing Khy on the opposing side of the court. But excitement, rather than nerves, fueled her as she relished the start of their friendly sibling rivalry.
Now that they walk separate paths in Season 87, IC only hopes that Khy continues being the same leader and “Ate” who guided her from their humble beginnings in Catmon, Cebu, to the bustling streets of Jhocson with the Lady Bulldogs.
“Na-enjoy ko talaga na makaharap siya kahit kinakabahan ako nung una. Tuloy niya lang din yung pagiging maangas sa court, and at the same time, yung pagiging leader niya sa court with UE na rebuilding ngayon,” IC told Tiebreaker Times.
