Just like in her tryouts with the University of San Jose Recoletos, Danivah Aying has zero expectations that she would be selected in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Rookie Draft Monday night, July 8. After all, the pool of applicants were peppered with standouts from the big leagues like the UAAP and the NCAA.

So when her name was called as a fourth-round pick for Galeries Tower, the Cebuana opposite spiker couldn’t hide her emotions as she walked up to the stage to join her new team.

“Super overwhelming,” said Aying. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa Galeries sa opportunity na ibinigay sa akin. Matagal ko nang pangarap na pumunta dito ng Maynila.”

Aying, whose selection came in last in the draft held at the Novotel in Cubao, was the only player drafted who came from the provincial league, the CESAFI -- a milestone not only for herself but also for aspiring players from the provinces who dreamed of making it to the pros.

And while she also admitted that she never won any individual awards during her collegiate years, Aying said her mental toughness, her willingness to grow and her never-give-up attitude are her biggest assets.

“Naging push sakin yung mga comments ng tao na, ‘Ay from Cebu lang yan.’ Naging stepping stone para sa akin na hindi dahil hindi ako from UAAP or NCAA, hindi ako magta-try,” Aying said.

She particularly looked up to her fellow Cebuana players like Sisi Rondina and Gretchel Soltones, who took giant leaps by joining the UAAP and the NCAA before carving names for themselves in the pro league.

“Ang pangarap naman walang limitation yan. As long as andyan yung fire and perseverance mo na gusto mong makamit ang pangarap mo, go lang. Wala namang mawawala kung mag-try,” she said.