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Her entry was far from smooth, but Katrin Trebichasvká is finally settled down in the Philippines.
Chaotic couldn’t even begin to describe Katrin Trebichavská’s eventual move to the Philippines.
Even before landing with Cignal in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference, the Philippines had already been in KT’s sights; she hoped that she would be signed as a reinforcement for the import-laced tournament. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side, as no formal offers came during the waiting game.
“I was trying to get to the Philippines in the beginning of the Reinforced Conference and it just didn’t work out,” Trebichavská told The GAME in a recent exclusive interview.
“Then I was in talks with a few other professional teams [overseas] and neither of them worked out, so I was very upset and I told my agent ‘I can’t keep doing this, this hurts too much and it’s hard’.”
Cignal would sign Trebichavská midway through the Reinforced Conference, having seen her as the perfect fit after hitting the reset button. At the time, the Super Spikers were on a 0-2 start to the tourney, and decided to move forward from Greek spiker Eva Chantava.
While it sounded too good to be true, it was the very sign that KT needed to push forward, especially as the failed negotiations began to take their toll emotionally.
“My agent texted me, saying this team in the Philippines wants you, like specifically you. And I was like ‘No way!’, so I figured out the details and I talked to my significant other in Buffalo and I got on the plane two days later,” she recalled.
Katrin Trebichavská ultimately made her PVL debut last October 25, leading Cignal past Nxled in a 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 25-15, 16-14 thriller at the Ynares Center II in Montalban. However, the lead-up to her debut was far from ideal, as KT had to deal with jetlag, along with the short time to grasp the Super Spikers’ system.
“Last night [October 24] was the first night I got more than four hours of sleep so preparing was very rough, but again, everybody’s been super helpful,” she said.
Perfect match
Today, it’s been over two weeks since Katrin Trebichavská first arrived in the Philippines. From a rather whirlwind journey into Manila, she’s been settling in just fine with both a new country and a new club team.
“Right now I’m settling much better than I was two weeks ago. All the jet lag is gone now and I’ve been sleeping for more than hours a night,” said Trebichavská, who broke into a smile as she recalled the flight to the Philippines.
“Everybody is very helpful and is doing everything that they can to help me figure out how to transport places and what to do. It’s still somewhat difficult, but because of everybody in my team, it’s definitely much easier than it could have been.”
As they say, all’s well that ends well for KT. Through the redirections and rejections she initially endured, the 25-year-old ultimately landed with a squad that could match her high energy, along with having teammates the same age as hers.
Those who watched KT’s first few games with Cignal may have noticed her vibing quite well with the likes of Erika Santos and Jackie Acuña, to name a few. Chances are, you’ve also seen her with her new teammates, such as Santos, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, and Erin Pangilinan supporting the Cignal men’s team at the Spikers’ Turf.
“I’m very high energy most of the time and the girls seem to be as well. It’s very chaotic in the best way possible and I think I’m just lucky that it’s a good fit for me. Then playing-wise, we just clicked together and I think we’re just matching each other’s energy well.”
Playing with Cignal, Trebichavská said, is also a change of scenery from her NCAA Division I days with the Buffalo Bulls and the Bowling Green State Falcons. This time around, KT gets to feel like a rookie again after spending the last three years as one of the veterans.
“Here, I still get the feeling that I’m supposed to be old, but I’m not, and it’s kind of strange,” said the 25-year-old Trebichavská. “I feel like then some of my teammates act older than me. So I’m like, ‘Wait that’s weird’. Like, should I talk to them differently? Should I respect them more?
“Because here, people talk to older people more respectfully like ‘Ate’, so I’m not used to that and sometimes I would feel that I’m being rude,” she continued. “But otherwise, the younger teammates, the ones that are my age, we just bounce off the walls together and do some crazy stuff.”
As for the Philippines itself, KT says that she’s still getting used to the tropical climate, given her natural struggles toward heat and humidity. Fortunately, her teammates have been more than supportive in helping her adjust to a warmer environment — a stark contrast to what she’s gotten used to in the United States.
“For the culture, it’s very different from anything I’ve seen before, but it’s definitely interesting and it’s cool,” said Trebichavská, a Slovakian native who spent the last five years living in the States.
“Sometimes I walk to the mall and back [home] with my headphones on and I just smile because it’s amazing and everybody’s been nice.”
It may have taken some time, but Katrin Trebichavská has finally found a second home here in the Philippines and with Cignal in the PVL.
Banner images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.