MANILA – An Ilongga volleybelle was among the members of California Academy that recently captured the championship in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational tournament.
Frianna Villaret, a native of Leon, Iloilo, was an off-the-bench opposite hitter for the California Academy, which finished the month-long competition with a perfect 5-0 win-loss slate.
According to Alma Cagalitan Capilastique of Leon Volleyball Association (LEVA), Villaret was supposed to be recruited by University of San Agustin but she tried out and was accepted at California Academy.
“She was one of the best and hard working outside hitter here in Leon,” Capilastique told Panay News on Tuesday. “She was supposed to be taken in by SanAg but her brother brought her to a tryout in California Academy and was accepted.”
Villaret, who is an incoming Grade 11 student and now stands 5-foot-6, was a former standout of the Dorog Elementary School and the Saint Catherine Parochial School in Leon town.
During her time with SCPS, Villaret has captured a number of championships in the Iloilo Developmental Volleyball League, Iloilo-CDSA tourney, Municipal Meet and Iloilo Private Schools Educators Association Meet.
Villaret and the California Academy recently captured the Shakey’s championship following a 25-18, 18-25, 25-14, 25-19 victory over the Naga College Foundation in the finals at the San Andres Gym in Manila.
The Ilongga volleybelle is also being tipped to take over the spot of Jelaica Gajero in the California Academy’s starting six with the latter set to graduate and rumored to move to University of the East for college.
“I have no doubt that Frianna was talented and hard working so California Academy did not think twice of getting her and she has the potential to excel there in the coming years,” Capilastique said.
“It will just depend on how she was being trained there and how the coaches are motivating her,” she added. “But, talent wise, she has what it takes to make it big in Manila.”/PN
