Alyssa Solomon may have delivered a team-high 23 points in her first appearance for Alas Pilipinas in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup, but the former National University star believes she still has much more to offer.
Solomon powered the Philippines with 22 attacks and a block in Sunday’s five-set battle against Australia, but her efforts ultimately fell short as Alas Pilipinas absorbed a 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-25, 11-15 defeat.
Despite emerging as the team’s leading scorer, the 24-year-old opposite hitter was far from satisfied with her performance.
“Actually, ’di ako nakontento sa naging game ko kanina, lalo na ’yung fourth set ata. Parang ’di na ako gano’n naka-contribute, so parang ’yun talaga ’yung gusto kong i-improve pa,” Solomon said.
After sitting out the Philippines’ opening-day sweep of Uzbekistan, Solomon made her much-anticipated return to the national team rotation against Australia, providing an immediate spark offensively as Alas Pilipinas battled one of the tournament’s more experienced squads.
Bigger Picture Matters More for Alyssa Solomon
While pleased with certain aspects of her game, Solomon emphasized that the bigger picture remains the team’s growth, which has only been together for a short period.
“Proud pa rin ako sa nangyari kasi maraming learnings na nakuha sa game na ’to. And mag-i-improve pa rin naman kami since ilang weeks pa lang naman kami magkakasama, so gagawin din namin ’to as team bond, and mag-i-improve lang kami for the next games,” she said.
The transition back to the national team setup has also been relatively smooth for Solomon despite joining the squad less than a week before the tournament.
Having previously trained alongside several members of the current pool, she quickly found her footing within the group.
“Actually, ’di naman siya naging mahirap since kilala ko naman ’yung iba, and Creamline naman, and naki-training din naman kami sa Creamline dati. Hindi siya gano’n kahirap,” Solomon shared.
Taking on a Bigger Role
As one of only two holdovers from the previous Alas Pilipinas core alongside Thea Gagate, Solomon has embraced a larger role in helping guide a roster that continues to build chemistry amid a challenging buildup to the tournament.
For now, the former Osaka Marvelous import remains focused on doing whatever the team needs as Alas Pilipinas looks to bounce back in its remaining matches.
“Binibigay ko lang po talaga ’yung best ko every game, and sinusupport ko rin kung ano’ng puwede kong ma-contribute sa team. ’Yung support po talaga sa team, ’yun po ’yung gusto ko maibigay po.”
