Pageant queen to continue volleyball career during reign

Representing her nation on beach volleyball courts won’t end any time soon for Ileann Powery, the new Miss Universe Cayman Islands.

Powery, 25, put her sporting career on hold to focus on preparing for the local beauty pageant – at which she bested four other contestants earlier this month to claim the coveted crown.

She secured her place at the 72nd Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for 18 Nov., in El Salvador, and while the newly minted queen has already begun her preparation to walk on the world’s stage, she also has her sights set on the courts.

“I’ve already reached out to the coach and said, ‘When are the training dates, times, the days I want to get back out,” Powery told the Compass. “I’m definitely planning to be back there on the courts.”

Powery, who hails from the district of West Bay, is considered to be one of the best female volleyball players in Cayman.

She has dominated dozens of domestic volleyball tournaments and has represented the Cayman Islands across 19 international tournaments, including the Pan American Games, but she is more motivated now to serve the ball than ever before.

Recently, Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago Faith Gillezeau visited Cayman to compete in the Senior Caribbean Squash Championships. While off the squash courts, Gillezeau took time to meet a few of the local pageant contestants – including Powery – ahead of the September competition.

“Seeing [Gillezeau] and Chloe [Powery-Doxey] compete while being queens, that is the inspiration I needed to get back on the courts,” Powery said. “I thought it was such a beautiful thing to see a queen… representing in two aspects.”

While planning to compete on the courts during her reign, for now, her immediate focus will be the Miss Universe pageant in which she hopes do her country proud.

“I’m just going to put my best foot forward, like I did for the national pageant and trust that it goes well,” Powery said. “This is all new to me; I’ve never been a pageant girl. So, I have to give myself grace. I know how far I’ve come and I know I have a good ways to go, but I’m doing it and that’s all that matters.”