MANILA, Philippines — Alyssa Solomon returned from a minor left ankle sprain, giving National University a timely boost to secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament.

After missing two games, Solomon hardly missed a beat as she dropped 11 points to lead the defending champion past the also-ran Ateneo, 25-16, 25-15, 25-21, on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

READ: UAAP: NU clinches top seed in women’s volleyball

Alyssa Solomon on her comeback and getting a convincing win before the Holy Week break. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/jgwq2CHLtv

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) April 13, 2025

“Of course, I was super excited to be back with the team, especially during today’s game. We just showed what we’ve been working hard on during training the past few days. I’m really happy to be back,” said Solomon in Filipino.

“I’m okay now. I can jump and do everything again. But there are still times it hurts a bit, though it’s tolerable,” she added.

The reigning UAAP Finals MVP was disappointed when she missed NU’s tough loss to Adamson last week. But instead of dwelling on the missed opportunity, she used it as motivation to recover and help her team take care of business against the Blue Eagles to secure the top seed with an 11-2 record.

READ: UAAP: NU gets ‘fun’ back, regains winning ways

“We were really shaken by that game. I noticed that the pressure somehow shifted to us instead of our opponents, and we couldn’t flip the situation at the time. But after that, it was like—okay, it happened, let’s move forward and get back to work,” said Solomon.

With the Lady Bulldogs having two weeks before facing University of Santo Tomas on April 27, Solomon seeks to make the most of the Holy Week break to address their lapses.

“I think during this two-week break, we’re really going to polish our movements and game before facing UST. We’ll bring our best in that match—it’s gonna be exciting,” she said.