Kianna Dy’s path to recovery has been neither easy nor quick, but more than two years after injuring her right knee, she now stands on the brink of another shot at glory.
Dy and PLDT secured a place in the 2025 PVL On Tour preseason tournament championship match after pulling off 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 the 5-foot-10 opposite spiker sustained the knee injury, which happened while she was still with the now-defunct F2 Logistics during the PVL Invitational Conference semifinals on July 20, 2023.
Her road back took 18 months of rehabilitation before she finally returned to the court on January 28 this year. Since then, Dy has been gradually regaining her rhythm, eventually finding top form in this PVL On Tour run.
Now just one win away from a championship — preseason title or not — Dy reflected on her long journey and how she intends to seize the moment.
(C) PVL Images
“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.
“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,” she continued, now emerging as one of the High Speed Hitters’ primary scoring options.
“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 will see Dy encountering some familiar faces across the net.
Alongside teammates Kim Fajardo, Majoy Baron, and Mika Reyes, Dy will reunite with fellow De La Salle Lady Spikers alumni Ara Galang and Aby Maraño, who are aiming to steer the Crossovers to victory.
Maraño, Galang, Baron, Fajardo, and Dy were part of F2 Logistics’ last championship run in the defunct Philippine Superliga back in 2019. They were also members of the Cargo Movers’ final PVL roster before the team’s disbandment.
“Mini reunion pero sa Sunday, hindi muna kami friends,” Dy said of the upcoming showdown.
“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.”
#WATCH: “NAKAKATABA NG PUSO” ❤️
After 1.5 years away due to injury, Kim Kianna Dy is finally back in the Final — and it feels amazing 🏐
🎥 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/gz4B4pFrwX
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) August 12, 2025
