Sports
Here’s Why Skye Chua Should Be On Your It-Girl Radar
Professional figure skater, actress, and college student? Skye Chua is one to watch out for.
Related: 7 Rising Gen Z Filipino Athletes You Should Know
The thing about today’s entertainment industry is that it isn’t required anymore to follow a certain path to make a name for yourself. These days, any background is ok (and even encouraged), as long as you come to the job with the dedication, passion, and talent for it. That’s the case for Skye Chua.
One of Sparkle’s Gen Z actresses under their roster, Skye has been proving herself as both a professional figure skater (she’s a member of the Philippine national figure skating team) and a budding actress. Both aren’t easy to do on their own, but the fact that she’s doing them at the same time while still in school? Ok Skye, we see you. Below, get to know a bit more about this medal-winning Gen Z diva on the ice.
SHE THANKS MALL SKATING FOR GETTING HER IN THE SPORT
Considering the Philippines is a tropical country, we’d bet that your first experience with ice skating was probably through the skating rinks at malls. That too was the case for Skye, whose first encounter with ice skating was at five years old when she watched the ice skaters at SM Megamall.
A couple of years later, her parents allowed her to try skating, and the rest, as they say, is history. “We would go eat at this fast-food restaurant beside the skating rink, and I would watch random skaters do their thing. When my mom finally allowed me to try it at seven, I fell in love instantly,” she said in an interview. Let Skye’s story be a reminder that if a sport or hobby catches your attention, don’t be afraid to try it. You never know where it might lead you.
SHE’S AN ACCOMPLISHED FIGURE SKATER
With nearly 15 years of experience on the ice, Skye has and continues to hone her craft as a professional in the sport. Her achievements and accomplishments are a testament to that. For example, at the 2017 Philippine National Figure Skating Championships, Skye participated as an advanced novice and bagged the gold medal in her national debut. Oh, there’s also the little tidbit that she met ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon when he was in the Philippines years ago for a figure skating competition. In the immortal words of Mitchie Torres, she’s really good.
SHE’S ALREADY BOOKED ROLES IN BIG PROJECTS
While Skye is still focusing on her figure skating career, she is also a budding actress, a path she embarked on after she signed with Sparkle a few years ago. Fittingly, she made her acting debut in 2023 in the show Hearts on Ice, the country’s first-ever figure skating series that starred fellow ice-skater-turned-actress Ashley Ortega. In the show, Skye played Sonja Limjoco.
Since then, she has gone on to book roles in two of GMA’s biggest teleseryes in recent years, namely Black Rider as Valencia Chen, and Pulang Araw as Yuki. And if that wasn’t enough, she’s also grown a bit of a following on social media where she posts snippets of her life as a figure skater, national athlete, and actress, as well as her take on viral trends and challenges.
SHE BALANCES BEING A WORKING STUDENT-ATHLETE
A mark of someone who truly wants it is the dedication they put into their work. And that much is true for Skye, who not only is a professional figure skater, a national athlete, and an actress, but also a college student currently taking up Sports Science at UP Diliman. To do all three at the same time can be a lot, but Skye is making it work and serving as a bit of an inspiration for aspiring athletes and Gen Z in general.
SHE’S REPRESENTED THE COUNTRY INTERNATIONALLY
As one of the few professional figure skaters in the country, Skye has proudly represented the Philippines in competitions around the world. Just this year, she jetted off to Turin, Italy for the 2025 Winter World University Games representing both her school, UP Diliman, and the country (this marked the first time she represented both at the same event). While she ultimately finished 32nd in the women’s singles figure skating, she still did a good job as the country’s sole representative at the Games. That’s world-class talent right there.
HER STYLE IS GIVING GEN Z ICE PRINCESS
Skye’s got game, and when she’s off the rink, we get to see even more of her personality, such as through her style. Her skating ‘fits eat, while her off-duty looks are a mix and match of dainty dresses and comfortable, cozy, and everyday pieces. She can give girl-next-door vibes and baddie energy, and we love that for her.
Continue Reading: These 10 Pinoy Gen Z Artists and Rising Stars Are Ready To Take Over 2025
Sports
Two Rams Named to the CSC Academic All-District Team
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed at the links above.
Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot.
For WSSU, Aria Caldwell and Zoe Chesson were named to the team.
Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced Jan. 13, 2026.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.
Sports
Olivia Babcock Named Back-To-Back AVCA National Player of the Year
KANSAS CITY – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named Olivia Babcock the 2025 AVCA National Player of the Year on Friday. Babcock becomes just the fifth player in the award’s history to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, she was honored as the inaugural AVCA Rightside Hitter of the Year, an award introduced this season.
Babcock once again swept the sport’s top individual accolades in 2025, earning AVCA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year honors. She is the only player in Pitt history to be named a three-time AVCA First Team All-American and was recently selected as the Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player after leading the Panthers to their fifth consecutive National Semifinal.
Earlier this season, Babcock set the program’s single-match kills record with 45 against North Carolina. She is the only player in NCAA volleyball this year to reach that mark and the first since Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson recorded 50 kills against UConn on Nov. 3, 2019.
Anchoring the Pitt offense, Babcock averaged personal-best marks of 5.17 kills per set and 2.09 digs per set. She earned AVCA National Player of the Week honors earlier this season and was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week five times during the 2025 campaign.
Sports
Men’s Volleyball Individual Match Tickets On Sale
HONOLULU – Individual match tickets for the 2026 University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball season are currently on sale. Tickets may be purchased at www.etickethawaii.com or at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center box office (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).
Season tickets are still on sale starting as low as $150. Click here to purchase season tickets.
In addition, several promotions are also available for individual match tickets.
Save & Serve Wednesdays: $5 Tickets available while supplies last
Military: 30% off all matches & 50% off on April 17th match
Hawai’i Hero’s Night: 50% off for First Responders on January 8th match
*All special offers are based on availability and only in select seating areas.
Link to purchase individual games online: https://hawaiiathletics.evenue.net/events/MVBI
Individual Ticket Prices:
Lower Level (only single seats available)
Lower Level Sideline – $25
Lower Level Baseline
Adult – $24
Senior citizen (65 and over) – $20
Youth (ages 4-High School) – $15
Upper Level Sideline
Adult – $20
Senior citizen (65 and over) – $15
Youth (ages 4-High School) – $10
Upper Level Baseline
Adult – $17
Senior citizen (65 and over) – $10
Youth (ages 4–High School) – $8
#HawaiiMVB
Sports
Kalei Edson, Kamille Gibson Join Houston Volleyball
“We are really excited to add two players that have played at a high level for two seasons,” Rehr said. “Kalei will compete as our setter while Kamille will make an impact on either pin. This is just the beginning for the 2026 volleyball team.”
KALEI EDSON | SETTER | JUNIOR | AUBURN
Edson arrives in Houston following two seasons with the Auburn Tigers. She played in all of the team’s 28 matches in 2025, contributing the second most assists on the team with 482, an average of 4.72 per set. Edson also added 177 digs, 19 aces and five double-doubles throughout the season. In 2024, she earned the SEC Freshman of the Week honor on Oct. 14 and excelled at the service line, leading her team with 30 aces at a rate of 0.32 aces per set.
Overall, Edson has 956 assists in 54 career matches, also recording 49 aces and 331 digs.
Edson collected numerous prep and club accolades, including USA Volleyball Junior National All-America and 2023 USAV GJNC All-Tournament Team honors. She was also a 3A All-State and All-South Region honoree and a PrepVolleyball First Team All-State selection. Ranked as the #9 overall prospect in Illinois, Edson was the #3 setter in the country. Across her prep career, she posted over 700 assists along with 800 kills, 100 aces and 100 blocks.
KAMILLE GIBSON | OUTSIDE HITTER | JUNIOR | OKLAHOMA
Gibson, a two-year contributor at Oklahoma after a season at Tennessee, brings a significant offensive mind to Houston while also being a prolific presence on defense. Across two seasons, she tallied 421 kills along with 97 blocks for 500.5 points. Primarily a right-side, Gibson averaged 2.29 kills per set while at Oklahoma.
Last season, Gibson posted 194 kills for a .387 kill percentage while adding 60 blocks. She played in 26 of the Sooner’s 27 matches and started in 16, missing just eight sets across the entire season.
A Crossroads, Texas, native, she prepped at Braswell High School while playing club for TAV. She finished her high school career with 1,161 kills, 500 digs and 137 blocks and was named to the District 5-6A first team in 2021 and to the second team in 2020.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Volleyball by providing NIL opportunities or by joining the Point Houston Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Volleyball for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarVB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarVB. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarVB.
– UHCougars.com –
Sports
Pitt’s season once again ends in the Final Four after getting swept by Texas A&M
Sports
Kentucky Volleyball beats Wisconsin in thriller, will face Texas A&M in National Championship
Kentucky Volleyball is headed to the national championship after a hard-fought five-set win over Wisconsin on Thursday night, as the Wildcats defeated the Badgers 3-2 in a match that tested every ounce of their resilience.
The opening set belonged to Wisconsin as the Badgers took control early and forced Kentucky to play from behind. The Wildcats struggled to find their rhythm but quickly regrouped. Kentucky responded in the second set with improved offensive execution and steady defense to even the match and shift momentum back in their favor.
Wisconsin answered by taking the third set and once again putting pressure on Kentucky with the season hanging in the balance. Facing a must-win fourth set, the Wildcats jumped out to a 13 to 10 lead and appeared ready to take control. Wisconsin refused to fold and battled back until the set was tied at 24 to 24. With the moment at its biggest, Kentucky delivered two straight points to force a decisive fifth set.
The Wildcats opened the final set on fire, racing out to a 9 to 2 lead. Wisconsin made one last push and closed the gap late, but Kentucky held its composure and finished off the match with a 15 -13 win to secure a spot in the NCAA National Championship Game.
Kentucky was led by Eva Hudson, who turned in a dominant performance with a season high of 29 kills. The SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year finalist consistently rose to the moment and carried the Wildcats offensively when they needed it most.
Defensively, Molly Touzzo anchored the back row with 17 digs, providing stability and extending key rallies throughout the match.
There is no question that head coach Craig Skinner has built something special in Lexington. Kentucky Volleyball has established itself as a national power, and Thursday night’s win was another example of the toughness and belief that define this program.
The Wildcats will now face Texas A&M in the national championship match on Sunday at 3:30 PM ET as the BBN continues to rally around this team.
Kentucky volleyball is one win away from the ultimate prize.
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