BRIANNA Ang is a name and a face to watch out for as one of Philippine volleyball’s fast-rising stars in the juniors ranks today.
Crowd darling Ang, 17, is part of Visayas' on-the-rise sporting force in Bacolod Tay Tung High School.
Her breakthrough was a prestigious best middle blocker award at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa as Western Visayas lost to National Capital Region in the gold medal game, bannered by aces from perennial champion National University-Nazareth School.
Prior to a rare letdown, she's won the Palaro girls' volleyball gold twice with Region VI.
Now entering her final year in high school, the 5-foot-10 defender is among many prized prospects and blue-chip recruits up for grabs by college schools eyeing fresh and long-term talents.
While the rumor mill has long spun on Ang taking her talents to schools like Ateneo, La Salle and University of the Philippines among others, the only thing she did confirm is that she has already made her choice.
Which among these schools? She’s staying mum on that, for now.
“Meron na po [akong napiling school]. I can’t say it yet po,” Ang said.
Her meteoric rise with Bacolod has been nothing short of fast and impressive.
Ang belives that her recent championship game experiences and individual breakthroughs are testaments to her grind in becoming a better and more complete athlete for whichever teams she’ll soon play for.
“I’m actually very happy that my growth has been seen, but I'm not settling for what I am right now because I know I can become even more,” Ang said.
“This is the blossom, this is what our hard work blossomed into, and I'm very happy that all of the efforts, our team manager, our coaches, families, and everyone, the Bacolodnon community supports us.”
Redirected to something bigger
Once a swimmer before the pandemic, Ang’s deep dive into volleyball was a gambit that has so far paid dividends early on into transitioning in a new battleground.
And as the limelight continues to be casted on her, one that still catches her by surprise to this day, Ang is taking the attention, love, support and pressure all in to prepare her for the next chapters of her budding career as a college star and, soon enough, a pro.
“I'm still actually very shocked with all the attention, but again, I'm very thankful for all the attention that's being given because it just shows that people support us, and it shows that they can see our hard work,” Ang said.
“I can say that pressure is a gift in this situation, and I’ll continue to use it as an advantage to become a better person.”
In her final hurrah as a Thunderbolt, the young Bacolod star looks to solidify the foundations built by the many seniors and mentors who paved the way for her early ascent to stardom.
“I’m planning to finish my high school career by helping the younger ones also so that they could also be known in the field of sports,” Ang said.
“I hope that I could help them reach what they want to achieve, just like what our old seniors and coaches did for us.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
