A SECOND CHANCE
It’s not just that volleyball players coming from schools outside of the UAAP and NCAA don’t get as many opportunities to pursue their dreams.
Erika Deloria, a standout from Enderun Colleges, faced an even greater adversity: She found her golden chance when she was selected by Chery Tiggo in last year’s PVL Rookie Draft, only to see her team fold after her first season as a professional.
“Honestly, my journey hasn’t been easy,” Deloria said in Filipino on Saturday. “It’s been really hard, but I love volleyball. It’s my passion.
“There were times I didn’t even know what was ahead, but I just kept going.”
Galeries Tower is happy she did.
The 24-year-old rookie found a new home with the Highrisers and also a chance to showcase her unheralded talent as a starter.
Deloria unleashed 18 points to end Galeries’ 17-game losing streak dating back to last season, stunning ZUS Coffee, 25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 22-25, 15-10, to rise to a 1-1 record in the 2026 All-Filipino Conference at the Ynares Center, Montalban.
“I had faith to keep moving forward, no matter what was in front of me. And thank you, Lord, because now I’m here,” she said after the match.
Deloria has been a revelation at this conference; she was the lone double-digit scorer for Galeries with 10 points in an opening-game loss to Cignal last week.
“It’s really about trust. The coaches trusted me and I like the mindset they gave me, so I make sure to always give my best. Same with my teammates. The trust they give me every training means a lot,” Deloria said. “Even Juju (Coronel) is always giving me advice, reminding me of things and that’s been really helpful. Like Juju said, the coaches constantly remind us because it’s important—and we got here because they never gave up on us.”
Sense of urgency
There is a certain edge to Deloria’s game, a sense of urgency that can only come from someone who is fighting for career survival, especially after watching her first club disband.
“Of course, there are challenges, but at the same time, I do this because I want to. Wherever team I’m on, I want to contribute and help in any way I can. So far, I’ve found a home with Galeries,” Deloria said.
The last time Galeries won a game was on Feb. 27 last year, when it upset No.3 Cignal in the qualifying match for a quarterfinal berth in the All-Filipino Conference. After that, the franchise got eliminated by Akari in a best-of-three series and had winless stints in the PVL on Tour and Reinforced before losing this year’s opener to Cignal.
New Galeries coach Aying Esteban sees great potential in his lineup, as it took a collective effort to stun last year’s Reinforced runner-up. Gayle Pascual haunted her former team with 18 points, while Aiza Maizo-Pontillas chipped in 11 points and 17 digs. Jean Asis and Roselle Baliton had 10 and nine points, respectively.
“Of course, we see them as the best players for the team. People say we’re still rebuilding, but that’s not an excuse for us not to give our best and play the right way,” said Esteban.
‘Everyone is eager’
Alas Pilipinas setter Julia Coronel, who paced the Highrisers with 16 excellent sets on top of eight points, is eager to continue building a winning system after finally ending the dry spell.
“I can really see how hungry everyone is to win. Everyone wants to contribute in any way they can and we saw that today—whenever coach pulled someone from the bench, they stepped up. That’s the beauty of our team right now: everyone is eager to contribute to the team’s success,” said Coronel.
“I’m hoping we can keep building that kind of culture because, for the longest time, that’s the culture we’ve wanted—a winning culture.”
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