PVL Rookie Draft aspirant Tia Andaya during the Draft Combine Day 1. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — After joining the Alas Pilipinas national pool, Tia Andaya looks forward to experiencing more Philippine volleyball as she enters the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft.
The Filipino-American setter went straight from Alas Pilipinas training to Paco Arena for the first day of the Rookie Combine at Paco Arena, where she joined the hopefuls in the drills, anthropometric measurements, medical tests, and media training.
FULL LIST: 2025 PVL Rookie Draft Aspirants
“I think this is a really new experience for me. I’m super excited to see what it’s all about, but from playing with the national team and girls that I’ve met here, the level is super good. I’m excited to see what the Philippines has to offer,” Andaya told the reporters.
“I made a commitment to the national team, so I’m honoring that, I’m giving my full energy to that. Giving what I can to the draft and hoping that I get the best outcome,” she added.
Alas Pilipinas setter Tia Andaya talks about her decision to join the #PVLDraft2025 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/4nwzHHzkfh
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) May 30, 2025
The 24-year-old Andaya joined the Alas program last year after getting discovered by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation in a United States tryout.
She has yet to play for the national squad, but she has been practicing with the pool for a busy 2025 calendar, including the Southeast Asian Games.
“Going to the national team, I think it was just a super cool opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Playing in the highest in any country is an honor, so when I got the call, I had to answer,” said Andaya, who is from Manila. “Just spending more time in the Philippines, learning more about this country, and exploring it. Also, playing with these groups of girls is a really cool opportunity.”
Andaya played for Gonzaga University and Central Washington in the NCAA Division 1 before taking her act to Romania and Albania.
Her experience overseas is her edge in this year’s talent-rich rookie draft.
“I think everywhere in the world has a different style of volleyball, and so I think that’s what gives me a little bit of an edge because I have a lot of different perspectives to bring and show,” Andaya said. “It’s very different from country to country, so I had a lot of growing to do as a player, going from America to Europe, then here to Asia. I think I have grown as a player and I will continue to grow, but it’s nice having that different background.”
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Besides her experience, Andaya is also armed with her training with eight-time PVL Best Setter and Alas captain Jia De Guzman.
“I’ve learned a lot. She also has a lot of experience from other countries—she played in Japan. I think she has a unique perspective that she shared with me. She’s also helped with the transition, coming into the Philippines because it’s different, so she’s made the transition very easy for me,” she said.
