Home called and Tia Andaya answered.
And after throwing her hat in the PVL Draft, much of the mystery on the Filipino-American setter will unravel in the weeks to come, and everyone will get to know why she has been so sought after.
Given the chance to play for Alas Pilipinas, the 5-foot-7 24-year-old has taken her act to this part of the world after playing in Europe at the end of her collegiate career in the United States.
“Going to the national team, I think it was just a super cool opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Andaya said after Day 1 of the Draft Combine. “Playing in the highest [level] in any country is an honor, so when I got the call, I had to answer,”
Growing opportunities
The Washington native whose father is Filipino started her career at Gonzaga University before transferring to Central Washington to be a Wildcat and then going to Albania where she played for SK Tirana for her first pro gig.
A year later, she took her act to another European country, Romania, to play for CSM Lugoj.
Opportunities are opening up for Fil-foreign players in the PVL, which is growing by the year, as Andaya could become the newest toast after Brooke Van Sickle and Savi Davison.
And she’s willing to make the adjustment, not only to be able to play for a club, but also for the national team.
“There was a big learning curve. It’s very different from country to country,” Andaya said as she looks for a club team in her father’s home country.
“I think I have grown as a player and I will continue to grow. But it’s nice having that different background.”
The national team coaching staff is obviously preparing for a transition in the coming years and it has made Andaya watch Jia de Guzman closely in practice.
“I think everywhere in the world (there’s) 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.
“[De Guzman] has a unique perspective that she shared with me,” Andaya said when asked of the PH team ace. “She’s also helped with the transition coming into the Philippines, because it’s different.
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“So she’s made the transition very easy for me,” she added.
