Once fighting for a single win, Alyssa Eroa is now one win away from her first PVL title with the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.
Nine months ago, Alyssa Eroa couldn’t hold back her tears as Galeries Tower advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
It was a monumental victory for the Highrisers after struggling for most of the franchise’s young history.
[ALSO READ: Alyssa Eroa gets emotional after Galeries Tower’s stunning PVL qualifying round upset vs. Cignal]
Fast forward to November 27, Eroa, now suiting up for ZUS Coffee, once again let the tears flow. Only this time, the trusted libero will head on to the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference Finals.
For Eroa, her first conferences with the Thunderbelles have been filled with milestone moments she never imagined would come so quickly.
“Tulad na sinabi ko kanina doon sa interview, parang lahat ng firsts ko sa ZUS ko na-experience, parang ang sarap i-cherish,” she told One Sports. “Parang siyang figurine na hindi puwedeng mabasag."
From a struggling team to Finals-bound
The 29-year-old admitted that the transition from Galeries Tower, which struggled heavily in its early seasons, to a Finals-bound contender in ZUS Coffee remains surreal.
Alyssa Eroa in action during ZUS Coffee's semifinal victory over PLDT. | Photo: PVL
Still, her mindset never changed on the taraflex.
“Yung mindset doon, parang maglalaro pa rin ako kung ano ginagawa ko doon sa Galeries,” she said. “Kung pwede ko pang mahigitan, mahigitan ko para sa ZUS.”
A second chance that she refuses to waste
There was also a time when Eroa seemed out of the league after the 2021 Open Conference.
But as fate would have it, the multi-award libero would find herself back in the league and proving herself once more.
With the Thunderbelles just one win away from lifting their first PVL crown, Eroa does not want the rare second chance to slip away.
“Siguro ‘yung mga tao na nagtitiwwala sa akin, nagtitiwala pa sa akin na lumaro ako para sa team nila—mas gagalingan ko pa,” she ended.
(With reports from Jamie Velasco, Aivan Episcope/One Sports)
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.