STOUGHTON — Eve Orpiano was born and raised in Manila until her parents Frances and Yvette Orpiano and two siblings, Vigo and Atarah, immigrated to Canada in 2013.
They moved to Stoughton where the family remains, and where the kids go to school.
Orpiano graduated from Stoughton Central School in 2022, and now attends Concordia University of Edmonton, taking psychology.
Orpiano always had a love for sports and played on many teams throughout her school years, but volleyball always came to the top of her list. When she moved to Edmonton she joined the Concordia Thunder volleyball team.
Last October, Orpiano and her team travelled to Calgary to play in a women’s recreational volleyball tournament. Little did she know that at this tournament there were scouts looking to draft players for the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) in the Philippines.
Orpiano's friends had told her before that she was a particularly good volleyball player, but she never took it seriously.
At the tournament, Orpiano was approached by one of the scouts from the Philippines and asked her to come to the country and try out for the Philippines National Volleyball Team (PNVT). She flew to the Philippines on May 8.
Since this is where Eve was born, she knows the area and she is also a dual citizen, which has made things much easier.
Orpiano will initially play in the PVL for the team that drafted her. If she is successful, she will then move up and play for the PNVT.
She will sign a one-year contract to play in the PVL, with the team and sponsors taking care of her housing and expenses. Her schooling is on pause for the time being.
Orpiano admits that she is extremely nervous but also excited about this opportunity.
“I never thought I would be scouted out,” said Orpiano. “I just went to play volleyball.”
She is not sure yet of what she will do. Europe has a large professional league, much bigger than the Asian league, and this is something that she is considering for the future.
If she makes the PNVL, her contract would start right away and she would remain in the Philippines until her deal expires.
If it does not work out for her, Eve will return to Canada and complete her last year of schooling with the hopes of finding a job in Edmonton.
