GALERIES Tower team captain Alyssa Eroa nearly called it quits in volleyball after getting rejected over and over again.
It’s as if all signs were already pointing towards an early exit from the sport for the 28-year old journeywoman after an already-decorated collegiate career from her title-winning run with San Sebastian in the NCAA.
Eroa won a hat-trick of beach volleyball crowns and four top libero honors from Seasons 90 to 93.
READ: Galeries Tower shocks Cignal to get outright PVL quarters spot
Having played for two PVL teams and two Philippine Superliga (PSL) squads, where she racked up a silver and a bronze, her career went on a standstill during the pandemic before a third-place finish with Marikina in the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA).
It would then go to a screeching halt as her many attempts to break into the pros all fell flat.
At that time, Eroa feared that her time in the game she’s grown to love will soon be over.
“Last PVL ko sa one year na ‘yun, parang may team na magbubuo ulit sa PVL. Hinihintay kong may mag-contact, so may nag-contact. Nag-tryout ako tapos sa kasamaang palad, hindi ako nakuha. So okay, trabaho na lang ulit, work na lang ulit, wala na munang volleyball sa buhay ko,” Eroa shared with SPIN.ph.
“Meron ulit na team na nawalan ng libero so kinontak ulit ako, pumunta ko. Sa kasamaang palad, hindi na naman ako nakuha," she recalled.
“Du’n sa tryout na ‘yun, dodu’non ko na pinanghawakan na kapag hindi pa ako nakuha, parang ito na ‘yung sign ni Lord na stop na ‘yung volleyball. Sa akin kasi, parang ‘yung volleyball na ‘yung umaayaw sa akin nung panahon na ‘yun.”
It came to a point where she had to dabble in a different field altogether — the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, colloquially called as 'call centers,' while playing in the MPVA.
There, she received the call that changed her life again.
“Nag-work lang muna ako sa BPO tapos du’n sa MPVA. Parang, bakit hindi ko na lang i-try para magkaroon na rin ng chance? Ni-try ko lang ulit sa MPVA at nakakatuwa naman kasi may kumuha pang team,” Eroa said.
“Nakakatuwa rin na pagkatapos sa MPVA, ‘yung mga teammates ko dito sa Galeries bigla yung kumontak sa akin kung pwede raw ba ako, tapos ayun, hanggang sa nagtuloy-tuloy.”
Now a history-maker with the playoff-bound Highrisers, Eroa vows to never let go of yet another chance to revive her volleyball dream again.
“Hinayaan ko na lang mag-flow ulit (‘yung career ko). Pinapangako ko talaga kay Lord, hindi ko pababayaan ‘tong chance na binigay niya sa akin.
“Ayaw ko na siyang mawala.”
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