Rhea Dimaculangan

In this Filipino name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is unknown, the birth surname or paternal family name is Dimaculangan, and the marital name is Villarete.
Rhea Dimaculangan
Dimaculangan in 2025
Personal information
Full nameRhea Katrina Karla Dimaculangan-Villarete
NicknameRhea, D-Mac, Kat
NationalityFilipino
Born (1991-03-21) March 21, 1991 (age 34)
Batangas, Philippines
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight66 kg (146 lb)
Spike275 cm (108 in)
Block270 cm (106 in)
College / UniversityUniversity of Santo Tomas
Volleyball information
PositionSetter
Current clubCreamline Cool Smashers
Number12 and 21 (club), 19 (national team)
Career
YearsTeams
2014RC Cola Air Force Raiders
2015Philippine Air Force
2015–2017Foton Tornadoes
2017–2019Petron Blaze Spikers
2020Generika-Ayala Lifesavers
2021–2024PLDT Home Fibr Power Hitters
2021Rebisco Philippines
2025Creamline Cool Smashers
National team
2014–2021Philippines
Last updated: December 2023

Rhea Katrina Karla Dimaculangan-Villarete (born March 21, 1991) is a Filipino former professional volleyball player. Villarete played setter for and was a former captain of the UST Golden Tigresses. She is also a former of the Philippines women's national team.

Early life and education

Dimaculangan was born on March 21, 1991 in Batangas to a family of five siblings. She is the younger sister of Ray Karl Dimaculangan, also a volleyball player and used to play as a setter for the men's volleyball team of the UST Golden Spikers.[1][2]

Career

Beginnings

Dimaculangan started her career in volleyball early in her elementary days in De La Salle Lipa. She was originally a hitter for her team, and only transitioned into her current position in 5th grade.[2]

Collegiate days

She moved in the University of Santo Tomas High School for her high school education where she became the playmaker for the girls' volleyball team. Later on, she pursued her tertiary education in University of Santo Tomas, majoring in Sports Science under UST-CRS, and continuing with the UST Golden Tigresses.[citation needed]

In 2009–2010, the UST Golden Tigresses achieved a historic "Grand Slam" after sweeping the major Philippine collegiate women's volleyball conferences.[citation needed] (Shakey's V-League Season 6 1st Conference and 2nd Conference, the 2009 University Games, and UAAP Season 72).[citation needed]

In UAAP Season 72 where her team won the championship, she claimed the Best Server and Final's Most Valuable Player award.[3]

Post-graduate career

Shakey's V-League

Dimaculangan also made a name in several Shakey's V-League conferences. In Shakey's V-League Season 6 1st Conference, she was entitled the Final's Most Valuable Player and Best Setter. She also snatched the Best Setter award in Shakey's V- League Season 11, Open Conference.[4]

Philippine Super Liga

Dimaculangan's debut in the Philippine Super Liga was in the 2014 Philippine Super Liga All-Filipino league where she snatched the Best Setter award and led her team, RC Cola Air Force Raiders, to a championship silver medal.[5]

She then transferred to the club team Foton Tornadoes together with Maika Ortiz in mid-2015 where she brought the team into a first-runner up finish in the 2015 Philippine Super Liga All-Filipino. With the aid of the imports Lindsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher, she helped the team bag its second championship gold medal in the 2016 PSL Grand Prix Conference.

Early 2017, Dimaculangan moved clubs and signed a year contract with the Petron Tri-Activ Spikers.[6] With Petron Blaze Spikers, she won the 2017 PSL Grand Prix Conference silver medal.[7] The following year, she together with Lindsay Stalzer, Katherine Bell and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas led Petron to the 2018 PSL Grand Prix Conference championship.[8] Villarete won the Most Valuable Player award of the 2018 PSL All-Filipino Conference.[9] In 2020, Villarete signed with the Generika-Ayala Lifesavers.[10]

Premier Volleyball League

In 2021, she joined the PLDT Home Fibr Power Hitters.[11] In 2024, she left the team to focus on her family.[12]

In 2025, Dimaculangan joined PVL club, Creamline Cool Smashers for their 2025 AVC Women's Volleyball Champions League stint.[13] She later helped Creamline win the PVL on Tour tournament and Invitational Conference. Her last tournament was the Reinforced Conference where Creamline finished sixth.[14] In January 2026, Dimaculangan announced her retirement from volleyball.[15]

Personal life

In 2024, Dimaculangan married her boyfriend, Raymond Jomarcel Villarete.[16]

Awards

Individuals

Philippine Super Liga
Shakey's V-League
UAAP women's volleyball

Collegiate

Club

References

  1. ^ "Rhea Katrina Dimaculangan". FIVB Player Database. March 31, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "UAAP's Most Valuable Siblings". ABS-CBN News. March 21, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  3. ^ "UAAP volleyball: Year of the Tigers and Tigresses". ABS-CBN News. March 1, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "Daquis wins shakey's V-League MVP award". Manila Standard. August 31, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  5. ^ "Army wins third straight Philippine SuperLiga title". Rappler. July 26, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  6. ^ Escarlote, Mark (January 14, 2017). "Former, current Tigresses reunite in Petron". ABS-CBN Sports. Archived from the original on January 15, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  7. ^ Lozada, Bong (December 16, 2017). "F2 completes comeback, wins PSL Grand Prix title at expense of Petron". The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  8. ^ "Petron gets payback, snares PSL Grand Prix crown". Rappler. May 5, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Naredo, Camille (December 20, 2018). "PSL: After leading Petron to glory, Rhea Dimaculangan claims MVP plum". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  10. ^ Agcaoili, Lance (January 7, 2020). "Rhea Dimaculangan signs with Generika after three years with Petron". Spin.ph. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "Volleyball: PLDT continues to beef up roster, adds Dimaculangan". ABS-CBN News. February 7, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Garcia, John Mark (October 23, 2024). "Rhea Dimaculangan leaving PLDT after 3 years with PVL club". Spin.ph. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Agcaoili, Lance (April 6, 2025). "Rhea Dimaculangan to play for Creamline in AVC Champions League". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  14. ^ Garcia, John Mark (January 7, 2026). "Rhea Dimaculangan closes book on short stint with Creamline". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  15. ^ Dannug, Jonash (January 9, 2026). "Steady Hands, Last Set: Rhea Dimaculangan-Villarete announces retirement". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  16. ^ Mina, Inna (June 23, 2024). "Perfect Connection: PLDT's Rhea Dimaculangan makes the ultimate call to "I Do"". One Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  17. ^ "UAAP bets shine in UniGames". November 4, 2009.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhea_Dimaculangan