THE Ordiales name now rings loud in Philippine volleyball after Leo Ordiales’ breakout showing in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
Ordiales, 22, finished as the Philippines’ second-leading scorer with 44 points (14.67 per game) and ranked 30th overall in the entire tournament.
But before Leo made noise for National University in the UAAP and eventually for Alas Pilipinas, volleyball has someone else to thank for setting him on that path: his older sister, Jessa, who pushed him to pursue the sport at a time when he wasn’t sure whether to move forward or walk away.
READ: Leo Ordiales was 'forced' into volleyball. Look where he is now.
“Parang pinilit lang ako dati ng ate ko na mag-volleyball,” Leo told SPIN.ph during the World Championship two months ago.
“‘Yung ate ko na si Jessa, naglalaro ng volleyball. Siyempre, gusto ng pamilya namin na mag-sports kaming lahat. Lahat kami magkakapatid may sport. In-encourage lang ako ng kapatid ko hanggang sa tuloy-tuloy na.”
Fast forward to November, and it was Jessa’s turn to take the spotlight.
The former De La Salle Lady Spiker finally had her breakthrough moment as a newly drafted pro for Cignal in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.
The 24-year-old, selected 18th overall earlier this year, delivered nine clutch points in the Super Spikers’ 25-18, 20-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-11 comeback win over Creamline to wrap up their group-stage campaign at sixth place.
'Ordiales din ako'
Fueling Jessa’s rise is the desire to carry the Ordiales name with the same pride her younger brother does, and to prove that there’s room for more than one Ordiales on center stage.
“Sobrang proud talaga ako sa kanya. Siya ‘yung motivation ko na kaya ko rin,” she told SPIN.ph.
“Sinasabi ko palagi na ‘Ordiales siya, pero Ordiales din ako.’ Kung anong kaya niya, kaya ko rin. Every day iniisip ko na magaling ‘yung kapatid ko, so kailangan ko ring galingan.”
Also, what she hopes to emulate most from Leo is his fearsome attacking.
“‘Yung palo niya talaga, ‘yung power niya. Tine-train ko ‘yung tamang way na pumalo, na mautak din dapat,” Jessa said.
As her young PVL career takes off, Jessa is determined to stand on her own, compete with the league’s best and make sure she’s remembered not just as someone’s sister.
“Sobrang happy ako sa sarili ko na na-prove kong kaya ko palang makipagsabayan. Kaya kapag kailangan ako ng team, nandyan ako para sa kanila,” she said.
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