Alyssa Eroa’s chapter with Galeries Tower has come to an end, closing a memorable stint where she became the heart of the team’s defense and a cornerstone of its historic campaign.
The Highrisers announced on Monday that they have parted ways with the 28-year-old defensive ace, concluding a fruitful one-year partnership that saw Eroa lead the team’s rise from the bottom of the standings.
“Thank you for the heart and dedication you poured into our team. See you on the other side of the court, Ly,” the team said in a Facebook post.
After a stellar campaign with Marikina in the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association, the 4-foot-11 libero joined Galeries for the 2024 Open Conference.
Eroa and the Highrisers faced a rocky start to the 2024 Premier Volleyball League season, finishing 10th and 11th in the Open and Reinforced Conferences, respectively.
(C) PVL Images
However, Eroa had a breakout campaign in the import-laden tournament, where she was named the league’s Best Libero after anchoring Galeries’ resilient floor defense, which pushed multiple PVL contenders to their limits.
Then came one of the most compelling storylines the league has seen in recent memory.
After another disappointing showing in the preliminaries, where they secured just one win in 11 matches, the tenth-seeded Highrisers — led by Eroa — pulled off a stunning upset over third-ranked Cignal in the qualifying round of the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference, clinching their first-ever playoff berth.
Though the team fell short in the quarterfinals, Galeries pushed seventh-ranked Akari to the brink, battling valiantly before succumbing in two tightly contested five-setters — bringing an end to one of the most inspiring campaigns in league history.
Still, the Highrisers finished in eighth place — their highest finish since joining the league in 2023.
Eroa played a total of three conferences with the Lerma Giron-coached squad.
