SHE comes from a basketball-playing family and she herself was hooked into the game at an early age, dribbling and shooting that ball like her father and the rest of the family used to.

Elyanna "Pie" Dayanghirang eventually became a champion and a star player for her team at the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU). In volleyball, that is.

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The 12-year-old Dayanghirang is the latest volleyball star to rise not only from her school but also from Davao City today, a born winner armed with great skills and a fighting heart that already led her team to three crowns this year.

Ateneo's latest conquest was at the recently concluded First Mindanao Children's Games (MCG), a meet for athletes aged 12 years old and under, when Dayanghirang powered her team to the gold medal and won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.

It was the second straight MVP award for Pie, as friends and relatives fondly call Dayanghirang. During the Davao Association of Colleges and Schools (DACS) meet, Pie also named MVP after leading her team in capturing the crown. The Ateneo girls volleball team also bagged the title in the Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) competition.

Eliezer Dayanghirang, Pie's father, said he was really happy and proud of the achievement of her daughter, who he confessed, started out in basketball.

"We are all basketball players. My brothers and I used to play basketball. Pie also played basketball during the Ateneo intramurals," Dayanghirang said.

When Pie turned to volleyball and became a member of the Ateneo team, Dayanghirang said they have no choice but to support her.

And Pie Dayanghirang rose to become not only an ordinary player but also a champion spiker. But with all her success, Pie remains a humble child.

"I'm very happy as everything wonderful keeps on coming to me and my team. This is our third championship for the year. We are the champions in the DACS, DCAA and now here at the Mindanao games," Pie said.

"I truly dedicate this most valuable player award to all the parents who are very supportive of us, to my teammates who are all superb, to our coach, Mrs. Lorellei Samela and our assistant coach Mr. Ronnel Tibay and, of course, to God almighty," added Pie, who is not only an excellent player but is also full of beauty and brains.

Pie actually started playing volleyball when she was still four. When she was in Grade 3 and playing basketball during one of their intramural games, she was spotted by Samela and was later invited as a trainee in volleyball.

Her daily training developed Pie's love and passion for volleyball. A year later, as a rookie, she was drafted as one of the 1st six players of the AdDU team, which later advanced to DACS, DCAA, the Davao Region Athletic Association (DVRAA) Meet and eventually the Palarong Pambansa.

Elyanna "Pie" Dayanghirang, a fifth grader, comes from both prominent families--the Gempesaw-Dayanghirangs of Davao City and Davao Oriental and the Ralota-Cagas of Davao del Sur whose some family members also happen to be outstanding sportsmen in their time.

Playing excellent sports runs in the family. Her father Eliezer was the Ateneo de Davao University elementary and high school basketball team captain and court general.

Pie's uncles from her father side -- former 1st District Davao Oriental Congressman, Gico; corporate executive Dickie, Fiscal Nonot, former Davao Oriental Provincial Board member Elmer, former municipal councilor and current Mindanao Business Council executive director Nanan and businessman/medical practitioner in the United States Motching -- were all outstanding basketball players.

Pie's uncles from her mother side are equally excellent as tennis players. Davao del Sur Provincial Assessor Roderick Milana and Dr. Joseph Milana were 14 and 12 years under champions in lawn tennis during their teens and are still in shape up to now.

"My mom, Dr. Apet, played volleyball during her college days. This made her very supportive of me because she understands the sports well. Ever since I started playing volleyball, my mom makes it a point to be always there with me," Pie said.

Pie is not only good in volleyball. She makes it a point to be as much as possible maintain her academic standing in the honors list.

Said Pie: "I promised my parents not to be complacent in my class activities. Though balancing sports and academics is a tough job, I think I'm on the right track," she said.

That's Pie, the next best thing to happen to Davao volleyball.

(November 23, 2008 issue)
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