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MANILA -- For Kapamilya actress Aya Fernandez, her first film "Rookie," directed by Samantha Lee, is a dream come true.

A self-confessed volleyball fan, Fernandez stars with newcomer Pat Tingjuy in the Cinemalaya film that will be released in August. Written by Lee and Natts Jadaone, "Rookie" tells the story of a basketball player who learns volleyball halfheartedly, as her new school does not have a hoops team.

"Sobrang nakakakilig 'yung story. I'm a volleyball fan myself," Fernandez told ABS-CBN News in a recent interview.

"What can I say, oh my gosh. This is my first film also. I've always been a fan of Direk Sam [Lee] as well, so for me, it's really a dream come true," she added.

Kapamilya star Aya Fernandez sheds light on what she learned from the film "Rookie."

Fernandez has played a queer character before, in "Stand-in Love," an episode of ABS-CBN Entertainment's digital anthology series "Love Bites." But in "Rookie," she also gained plenty of lessons from the sports aspect of the film.

"I put so much emphasis on the impact of this film on my life," said Fernandez. "This film just taught me, you hit it when it's scary."

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"When you spike a volleyball, the correct form to do a power spike, you should hit it when it's at the peak, and it's the scariest for me," said the actress, who revealed that she used to play basketball but not volleyball. "Parang bago sa akin 'yung up in the air. I do golf, basketball, not heights. But anyway, 'yun -- hit it when it's scary."

Fernandez previously appeared on "Viral Scandal," "Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin," "A Family Affair," and the long-running series "Ang Probinsyano." She is part of the cast of the upcoming teleserye "Nag-aapoy na Damdamin," a collaboration between ABS-CBN and TV5.

"Rookie," which Lee says portrays "queer joy, out in the open, in broad daylight," will be screened from August 4-13.

Lee is known for her films and series centered on lesbian love such as "Baka Bukas" (2017), "Billie and Emma" (2018), and the iWantTFC series "Sleep With Me" (2022).

She has three awards under her belt -- Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival Audience Award and L.A. Outfest Emerging Talent Award for "Baka Bukas" in 2016 and 2017, respectively, along with the L.A. Outfest Audience Award for "Sleep With Me" in 2022.