MANILA - When Thirdy Ravena appeared on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” in December, he stopped short of answering a question about why he has yet to court fellow collegiate athlete Bea de Leon.

However, he openly admitted that he has harbored a crush on her since they were both in high school.

When it was de Leon’s turn to guest on the late-night show, Abunda directly asked the volleyball star if there was a time Ravena actually wooed her.

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Giving a straightforward answer, de Leon said: “I think he did but not anymore. Way back in high school.”

However, she revealed that they never got together.

Fast forward to their college days at Ateneo de Manila University, de Leon said Ravena actually tried his luck again.

“You’ll have to confirm with him. I don’t want to be assuming. But from my perspective, I think he tried again like first year siguro. I don’t remember. That’s been so long,” he said.

And even if they still didn’t become a couple, de Leon said she and Ravena are “very, very good friends.”

• READ: Okumu remains as UP women's volleyball coach

Putting her personal life aside, de Leon opened up about being named the Finals MVP at the recently concluded UAAP volleyball tournament.

“Actually I didn’t think they were gonna pick me as Finals MVP anymore because my stats weren’t as explosive or as big as other players naman. But when they awarded it to me, I felt like it was the pinnacle to my career, like a culmination of all the five years I played,” she said.

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Looking back, De Leon said she could not believe there was a time when she almost decided not to pursue volleyball anymore.

“[My dad] wanted me to stop na in high school. I played for Poveda and how I started was literally like service and then point na. And then sometimes, the service won’t even go in. So nakakawalang gana talaga siya panoorin if ever,” she said.

Things changed when the sports stared to pick up during Alyssa Valdez’s time in Ateneo.

“I was fourth year high school when Season 76 came about and that was the Cinderella run of Ateneo. My dad started to consider na rin na, ‘You’re tall and athletic naman. We might actually have a future here.’ We tried out in multiple schools. Talagang timing lang when I got into Ateneo because they lacked middles,” she said.

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Considering her height, does she ever thought of joining a beauty pageant now that she’s done with collegiate volleyball?

“It’s not my personality. I’m not very kikay in that sense so maybe not,” she said.

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