ALYSSA Solomon stepping onto Galeries Tower practice roughly a week before the PVL Draft Lottery felt harmless enough at first.
Now, it suddenly looks a lot like destiny.
READ: Galeries Tower hits lottery jackpot, wins No. 1 pick in PVL Draft
Just days after photos of Solomon training with the Highrisers made the rounds on social media, Galeries Tower went on to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 PVL Rookie Draft lottery, placing the franchise in prime position to officially bring the former National University star on board.
And fittingly enough, a literal high-riser like the 6-foot-2 Solomon may soon become a proper Highriser herself in a matter of days come draft night.
For last year’s No. 2 overall pick Jean Asis, the experience of sharing the floor with Solomon already offered a glimpse of what that future could look like.
The former FEU standout not only faced Solomon numerous times in the UAAP, but recently got a firsthand feel of training alongside the presumptive top overall pick during that Galeries Tower session.
“Nu’ng nag-training siya sa amin, magaan siyang kasama sa loob ng court kasi alam mong maaasahan mo siya sa game or any competition sa volleyball,” Asis said.
While Solomon remains widely viewed as the likely top selection come June 3, Asis stopped short of declaring the former Japan SV.League opposite hitter a lock for the pick.
“Maging sinuman, depende talaga sa coaches, kung sino kukunin, kung siya man,” she said.
Still, Asis made it clear she is more focused on whichever player can best help accelerate the Highrisers’ rebuild.
After all, she herself entered Galeries Tower last year as part of the franchise’s major overhaul and quickly became one of its foundational pieces.
“Nae-excite naman ako kahit sino ‘yung maka-team ko as long as na makaka-help siya sa team. Yun talaga naman, yung nilook forward ko,” Asis said.
“Kahit sino yung piliin ng coaches, as long as na willing siya na i-help yung team para mas lumakas kami. Wala ko masasabi, basta masaya ako kung sinuman siya.”
For now, Solomon remains officially just another draft applicant.
But after fate seemingly brought both sides together even before the lottery balls dropped, the possibility of that partnership becoming permanent suddenly feels far more real than ever.
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