“Hectic and Surreal”: Choco Mucho’s Tia Andaya on her Alas Pilipinas debut

Filipino-American rookie Tia Andaya fulfilled her dream of donning the national colors of the Philippine women’s volleyball team after making her debut for Alas Pilipinas at the recently concluded VTV Cup in Vietnam.

Andaya joined a revamped Alas Pilipinas squad that reached the semifinals of the VTV Cup, where they fell short of a finals berth after losing to the Russian team Korabelka. The 24-year-old opened up about her debut stint, calling the experience “hectic” and “surreal.”

“Hectic. There’s been a lot going on, but like Brooke Van Sickle said, I feel like I’ve been waiting for a while to get to play for this country—until finally getting to put on the jersey and step on the court. It was a pretty surreal experience,” Andaya said in a media interaction.

Tia Andaya on joining fan favorite Choco Mucho. #PVLDraft2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/mgmNH5g3Jq

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) June 8, 2025

Andaya’s commitment to Alas Pilipinas has meant she missed action for her club, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, who are currently participating in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour preseason tournament. The setter was selected as the seventh overall pick by the franchise in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft.

Despite being busy with Alas Pilipinas, Andaya added that she has been following the team’s progress and is eager to make her PVL debut as soon as possible.

“Unlike them, I haven’t really experienced much training with the team yet. But just watching them is super fun and seeing what they can do—kind of getting familiar with it from afar—and also seeing those girls that I got drafted with play. It’s super awesome to see them succeed,” she added.

At 24, Andaya is widely tipped to be the future of Choco Mucho and the team’s primary setter once she fully integrates into the squad. Meanwhile, the Flying Titans are currently placed third in Pool A with a 1-1 win-loss record, and it is yet to be confirmed whether the rookie will be part of Choco Mucho’s squad for their next game against the Farm Fresh Foxies, scheduled for Saturday, July 12, at the Capital Arena in Ilagan City.

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