A lot of people see Kianna Dy as one of the Lady Spikers that brought home the volleyball championships for DLSU during the UAAP seasons 78 to 80. Now, Kianna is in the roster of athletes to represent the country in the 2018 Asian Games in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang. But there is more to Kianna’s life than just sports and volleyball. The 23-year-old plays just as hard as she works.
Preparing for the Asian Games has become a challenge for this ace player. They now face athletes from different countries in an intense battle for the nation’s pride. “I think the level of play is really different from collegiate. Kasi mas mataas siya sa pro. Yung kalaban mo kasi international team so makikita mo yung difference.” But this has become more of a challenge than an obstacle to her. “Yun yung goal ng Philippines—to try to keep up or maybe even exceed that level of play. [Because] they’re faster, they play smarter, they’re stronger. Kasi based on experience, makikita mo yung skills nila talaga [is] different. So I feel naman na kaya. Kaya habulin kung gusto.”
For Kianna, aside from winning, the skills she is to learn from this experience is also one thing she looks forward to. And training with Japanese players before Jakarta was the perfect way to learn more about the sport. “[I’m excited] to learn new skills. Kasi Japanese players are fast. They’re really good at defense. And our team needs good defense. So yung mga fast plays, fast sets, and fast spikes. Ayun yung makaka-benefit sa team namin kasi we’re trying to keep up with the level of other teams like Japan, China, Korea, and Thailand.”
But this is just one side of Kianna’s life. There is more to her than people think and just like anyone else, KKD plays hard outside the court. “You only live once” according to Kianna, so she makes time to do her hobbies and try new things. Before her prep for the Asian Games, Kianna has been traveling. She can’t stop gushing as she shares everything she loved in the countries she recently visited. “In the States, I actually enjoyed LA. Madaming food. My favorite, of course, was Porto’s. Syempre yung Six Flags ‘cause I’m team extreme. I love thrill rides. In Korea. I actually enjoyed the food, sobra. Like there’s this place that was selling pork cheek pero bigger pieces. Pero nung una hindi nila sinabi kung anong kinakain namin then after nun sinabi nila pork cheek. But it was really good.”
From volleyball to travelling, it seems as if Kianna wouldn’t have time for side hustles but she keeps on proving everyone wrong. She also recently started vlogging but she’s not in it for the views. “Hindi ako legit vlogger. Like I just do it for fun. For the memories lang din. I just want to document the moments. I want to vlog for the memories.” And the following years may only be brighter for her as she reveals her plan of venturing into the franchising business like her teammate Mika Reyes. “I want to start my own business. After national team, I plan to start or franchise something.” But rest assured that Kianna won’t stop playing inside the court. “Of course,” she says. “Hindi mawawala yung volleyball.”
Dress with exaggerated sleeves by Bon Hansen
Makeup by Don de Jesus
Hair by Ja Feliciano using Bosely Professional