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Renesa “Kia” Melgar was 12 years old when a coach in her school saw her potential to play the sport of volleyball.

It has more to do with her height then rather than skills.

“They trained me but my improvement was slow,” the Iloilo native vividly recalled.

“My teammates laughed at me because I didn't even know how to spike the ball.”

She hated volleyball at first and those embarrassing moments only made it even worse for the soft-spoken athlete.

Good thing Kia didn't quit.

She persevered to get better and it eventually helped her land a scholarship as a student-athlete here in Manila.

Today, the 22-year-old setter and spiker is a vital piece for the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Lady Bombers heading into Season 96 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Pride of Iloilo

Kia's entry to NCAA almost didn't happen.

Like any parents who are protective of their only daughter, the family initially decided not to entertain the offer from JRU.

The thought of letting go of Kia was simply too much for her parents to take.

Photo by: Renesa Melgar (FB)

However, the chance for her to get quality education in Manila without any major cost was simply too good to pass up. They eventually relented.

“Nung nag-usap po ulit kami nag-decide na kami na i-grab 'yong opportunity kasi free naman po 'yong tuition and may allowance rin po,” she said.

Fortunately, things worked out fine and Kia was able to adjust from laidback provincial life to a fast-paced city routine in no time.

Training and studying also allowed the wide-eyed city newcomer to forget any feelings of homesickness.

We're curious to know where she got her nickname from. Interestingly, there's an amusing story behind it too.

“Nung manganganak na po 'yong mama ko hindi po siya umabot sa ospital,” the volleyball player recalled.

“Pinanganak po ako sa mismong ambulance. 'Yong brand po nung ambulance na 'yon is Kia po. Dapat po ang name ko is Kia Ambulance Melgar,” she laughed.

One of the BLINKs

Kia loves to spend her downtime watching movies on Netflix, working out, cooking her favorite pasta dish and sinigang, and watching GMA-7's Eat Bulaga.

She used to watch a lot of K-drama but had to stop to focus on her online classes.

Kia also had to refrain from playing Mobile Legends so as not to interfere with her studies.

“I need to focus,” she smiled.

“In terms of music, my favorite is Reyne's cover of 'At My Worst.'”

She's a proud fan of the popular K-pop group BLACKPINK, raving how “talented” and “beautiful” the girls are.

Photo by: Renesa Melgar (FB)

Kia has a lot of reasons to be excited about NCAA's partnership with GMA Network.

She's hoping, of course, to meet one of her favorite actresses and her biggest Kapuso crush.

“I love Maine Mendoza,” Kia revealed.

“She's very funny, beautiful, and talented. I hope to meet her soon.”

As for her crush, it is no other than former Descendants of the Sun Philippines leading man, Dingdong Dantes.

“He is my Idol ever since kasi he's good at acting and guwapo,” she blushed.

Like all of us, Kia is praying for the pandemic to stop so she could go back to playing volleyball.

“Being a student-athlete is not easy because of the busy schedule and doing both academic and sports,” she said.

“But what I really like is that when I get tired or stressed out from schoolwork, training is the one thing that helps me de-stress and provides me with a break from academics.”

She also couldn't wait to fly back to Iloilo to see her parents after being stranded in Metro Manila for almost a year now.

“The only place that I want to go to is home and that's Iloilo,” Kia said with a bit of sadness.

“I didn't have the chance to visit them since last year. I really miss my family there.”

Watch Renesa “Kia” Melgar unleash her deadly spikes and the entire JRU Lady Bombers compete in Season 96 of the NCAA. The country's premier athletic league will soon be seen via GMA News TV and other Kapuso channels including GMA Pinoy TV for viewers living abroad.