AMONG the biggest yet lesser known names in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft pool is Filipino-American setter Tia Andaya.
The 24-year-old playmaker was part of the Alas Pilipinas training pool since last year when the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) held open tryouts in the U.S.
This year, she’s throwing her name into the hat again — not just for a national team roster spot, but also in the country’s lone professional volleyball league.
“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,” Andaya said.
“[Joining the PVL is also about] just spending more time in the Philippines, learning more about this country, and exploring it.”
She might be a rather obscure name relative to the wide array of UAAP and NCAA standouts in this year’s pool, but she has quite the international pedigree to flex.
“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,” she said.
Who are ya, Tia?
Andaya played for two US NCAA Division I schools in Gonzaga University and Central Washington University.
She’d then take her act to Europe where she played for Albanian club SK Tirana and Romanian team CSM Lugoj.
Between years of playing college volleyball in the U.S., turning pro in Europe, and testing her luck in the Philippines, no two places have been the same.
“It was a lot different. There was a big learning curve. Like I 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,” she said.
“I think I have grown as a player and I will continue to grow, but it’s nice having that different background.
“Although I’m not sure about my expectations, to be honest. 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.”
When asked by SPIN.ph, Andaya is also ‘on the same boat’ as the rest of the national team’s Fil-foreign players when it comes to processing her federation shift request.
While that process is ongoing, she cannot represent the country in AVC and FIVB-sanctioned competitions, but will be allowed to do so in the 2025 VTV Cup from June 28 to July 5 and the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand this December.
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