Photo credit: PVL

It wasn’t the flashiest performance of the night—but for Mylene Paat, every second she spent on the court felt like a victory.

After more than a year of grueling rehab from the most serious injury of her career, the 31-year-old outside hitter from Bani, Pangasinan finally got her moment back under the lights. Paat played extended minutes in Chery Tiggo’s five-set thriller against Akari, slowly finding her rhythm again.

“Sobrang saya ko… Hindi ko nga in-expect na mabababad ako ng gano’n katagal kanina,” she said, smiling after scoring eight points off the bench from the second to fourth sets.

It’s been a long road for Paat, who tore her left shoulder’s supraspinatus—a painful injury that forced her to sit out the 2024–25 All-Filipino Conference, the PVL On Tour, and the Invitational. For over a year, recovery became her new game—one built on patience, discipline, and faith.

“Actually, sobrang tagal eh. One year mahigit na nagre-recover. Mag-a-anniversary na nga ako sa operation ko,” she recalled. “Madami akong pinagdaanan pero hindi ako nawawala sa team. Nandun lang ako, nagre-recover habang nakikita ko silang nagte-training.”

Through all the ups and (mostly) downs, she leaned on her faith and her biggest supporter—her Kazakh husband, Sergey Rezanov.

“Yung journey ko, ang daming downs. Pero ngayon, medyo umaangat na. Sobrang thankful ako kay God. Siya talaga yung kinapitan ko. And of course, my husband,” she said.

While she admits she’s still not at 100%, Paat isn’t in a rush. What matters now is progress—one set, one swing, one smile at a time.

“Step by step, malayo na pero malayo pa,” she said, her face lighting up. “Sobrang saya ko. Even my family and teammates, sobrang saya din. Step by step, tuloy-tuloy lang.”