At 32 years old, Alyssa Valdez reflects on her journey and looks ahead to what’s next.
Alyssa Valdez remembers the first point she ever scored as a volleyball player.
She was an elementary student when she first got into the sport, introduced to her by her brothers, who also played. But growing up at a time when volleyball courts in the Philippines were still few and far between, she learned the ropes by playing on grass fields wearing the wrong kind of shoes. Not exactly ideal, but for a young Alyssa, it was enough.
“It wasn’t even a court,” she tells The GAME. “But I remember just having fun. Yun lang yung naalala ko. That’s why I continued playing the sport.”
Although her foray into volleyball came in a rather unconventional introduction — playing on grass fields is a far cry from where the sport is today — the enjoyment she experienced from those humble beginnings motivated her to keep going, until she played in her first real game.
Although she can’t recall whether she was representing her city or her school, what she does vividly remember is the specific point in the match when she made an impact.
“Yung pinaka naalala ko, naka-point ako dahil in-over ko lang yung bola,” she laughs, reminiscing her early days as a player. “Hindi man lang ako nag-spike, kasi wala — hindi pa ako marunong.”
She didn’t know back then that her impact as a volleyball player would go far beyond that first point.
Now, her name is almost synonymous with Philippine volleyball. Her reputation as an athlete precedes her; from the UAAP to the Shakey’s V-League to the Premier Volleyball League, Alyssa has won titles with every team she has ever played for, and what’s more, she has also dominated the game, whether that was by claiming multiple MVP awards, Best Scorer nods, or Best Outside Spiker titles, among many others. Her list of accomplishments goes on and on.
From an outside perspective, one might describe Alyssa’s journey as a “full circle” after coming from the grass fields of Batangas. But for the seven-time PVL champion, this journey is not yet a closed circle.
“It’s like a river; it flows,” she says. “Whatever happens, I’m just going with the flow…Little did I know, ‘di pa natatapos yung river, tuloy tuloy pa rin siya. But now, I think I know how to go about all of the currents that come my way.”
Growing up with the sport
Alyssa would describe her younger self as quiet.
“I think I was one of the few players back then na — not even kidding — nasa corner lang. Like, legit. I was like that lang, observing things, observing all the people around me…Like, the exact opposite, I would say, to [who I am] now.”
It may be difficult for most people to imagine Alyssa Valdez hiding in corners when her reputation transcends the volleyball scene; she is one of the most recognizable Filipino athletes. Yet as she recalls, her more reserved disposition lasted until her Blue Eagle days and her first few seasons as a professional.
More of an introspective individual, Alyssa had a natural tendency to look inward rather than focusing on what the world was saying about her (even though the rest of the country was singing her praises, especially during her time at Ateneo, when she became the leading figure of the Lady Eagles’ golden generation). Instead, her reserved nature allowed her to focus more on making the most out of her UAAP playing years, because at the time, she thought she was on a strict deadline.
“We gave everything back in college,” she recalls. “We really didn’t realize that we’re gonna still be playing volleyball [after college]. So, during practice, we were like, ‘Okay, college lang namin ‘tong gagawin, sige bigay na natin lahat, sige twice-a-day-training.”
She assumed, back then, that she would need to hang up her jersey and find a regular office job after graduation, a thought that prompted her to give everything into the present moment.
And her dedication shone brightly. During her collegiate career, she won two UAAP Women’s Volleyball Championships and became a three-time MVP, a three-time Best Server, a four-time Best Scorer, and a Finals MVP. This is a remarkable achievement that could only be accomplished by someone who truly dominated the game, and that is what Alyssa did. And people started to take notice.
It helped that major television channels began to broadcast the UAAP volleyball tournament, which provided more visibility to the sport — but one of the real draws was Alyssa Valdez’s sheer talent. And as she rose to fame, volleyball in the Philippines started to, as well. Her fans followed her from the hallowed halls of Ateneo to her transition to professional volleyball, and the popularity of the sport exploded.
Now, Alyssa can’t go anywhere in the country unrecognized.
Yet looking back, in the moment, Alyssa didn’t realize a shift in the sport’s rising popularity, not even when fans started to ask for her autographs or photos with her.
“Back then, we didn’t even realize that volleyball was starting to pick up, but just because, as student-athletes, we were too busy thinking of how to survive college being student-athletes…
“But I think we were just very happy that it became a career for all of us.”
More than a passion
“It’s incomparable,” Alyssa Valdez replies when asked about the difference between her days at Ateneo and the PVL. “Back in college, it was really a passion. It’s really something that you do because you purely see volleyball as something na outlet mo. Something that you do because you just want to do it.
“When you turn to PVL and to pro, it’s really a job. You will feel the shift din talaga. And it’s really a constant battle of how to balance it — balancing the passion…Kasi you don’t want to pressure yourself to do your best because you’re just getting paid. You want to do your best because you want to do it, and you love the sport. I think the main difference would definitely be the constant battle.”
The difference between Alyssa Valdez and student athletes nowadays is that the former Ateneo captain did not know this could ever become a career. Thus, when she started competing professionally in the Shakey’s V-League, which was later renamed the Premier Volleyball League, everything was a trial by fire. She was navigating uncharted waters.
Yet, she navigated it with the same winning form she has become known for.
Alyssa Valdez continued her dominant strides as a professional. Playing for the Creamline Cool Smashers, she is currently a seven-time PVL champion. Of course, it helps that she plays for one of the most dominant teams in the league — but no one can discount her impact when she has won three MVP awards, a Finals MVP title, and six First Best Outside Hitter nods.
The Phenom everyone got to know and love from the UAAP continued her dominant force as a professional.
However, she does not hide the fact that playing professionally is a different ball game. With the pressure professionals face — from teams, coaches, fans — she admits that it takes an extra layer of discipline to show up consistently.
“The pressure is different talaga. It turns you into like a diamond, sabi nga nila. But when the pressure, pag nag-pro ka, may added pressure na you have to stay like this for a very long time diba? Kasi it’s your job, but it’s so limited. So, yun yung something na mas bumibigat na pressure na gusto mong kahit papano mabawasan. But you have to balance it.”
How does the veteran volleyball star do it?
Now, almost a decade into her professional career, she reveals that it is her life off the court that allows her to find balance.
Life beyond the Taraflex
In the minds of many, Alyssa Valdez’s name is congruent with Philippine volleyball. It’s almost as though they go hand-in-hand. But it has been nine years since she graduated from Ateneo and dedicated her career to the sport. Now, Alyssa admits that she no longer wants to be defined by just one thing.
“Right now in my career, this era, I’m really looking for that balance in my life. Because back in college, I was really too focused on volleyball, school, and sometimes you’ll forget to make time for other people and other things that matter.
“But now, I really cannot just put my 100% focus and time just in volleyball because this is the real world, the real life, so I have to balance it, at the end of the day.”
Having just turned 32 last month, Alyssa is no stranger to the reality that her time as an athlete will someday come to an end. She has come to terms with the fact that this career has a deadline — a fact that has perhaps become all the more apparent to her after she sustained a knee injury that kept her sidelined from the court for some time.
This thought used to scare her.
“Actually, [I used to be scared] back then. Parang, what will happen to me after volleyball?”
But, somewhat unexpectedly, her journey to self-discovery has been taking place off the court. In fact, she even admits that when she joined Pinoy Big Brother in 2021, that was the only time she felt as though she broke out of her shell for the first time. That experience of being away from the sport taught her a lot about who she is as an individual and helped her become more comfortable in her own skin.
Now, she is looking for more opportunities to break out of her comfort zone and get to know this version of herself: the Alyssa Valdez beyond the court. This is why she started her own podcast, The Transition Playbook.
Sharing the moment that sparked this idea, she shares, “I was just talking with my friends and then sabi nila, not all people knew about this side of yours, na parang, ganito ka pala mag-converse sa mga peers mo, so they were like, ‘Tara, let’s do a podcast.’
“And I guess the question back then, when we were having this conversation, was: Who was I outside of volleyball? And I actually don’t know, so, sabi nila, ‘Let’s figure it out together.’”
The Transition Playbook underscores Alyssa’s joyful, bubbly, and curious personality. Sitting behind the microphone, she interviews fellow athletes and industry insiders to find out more about their lives off the court. So far, she has interviewed athletes like EJ Obiena and LA Tenorio. (She also reveals that her dream guest at the moment is Alex Eala.)
The point of the podcast is to shine a light on what happens when individuals make big transitions in life.
“I think that’s one of the motivators also on why I started the podcast, because it’s not talked about, eh. Parang people in sports, after they do sports, where do they go? So that’s why we wanna have this platform para athletes or other people who want to transition to other things, but are scared to transition, meron silang mapakinggan na parang, ‘Oh it’s okay to restart, to do other things, outside of what you’re doing.’”
It’s a timely project for Alyssa. As she gives these kinds of stories a platform to come to light, she is also learning more about herself in the process, discovering more about who she is when she isn’t playing volleyball.
“I love the experience of just being myself,” she says with a smile.
“So, I guess what I realized is that sports taught me — ang dami mong talagang matutunan sa sports — na it’s okay to fall. And it’s really okay to try other things and do it again and again and again, because eventually, you’ll be able to survive.
“But, I would say slowly, I like who I’m becoming.”
A message to young Alyssa
It’s difficult to imagine what Philippine volleyball would be like without Alyssa Valdez. We may not be at that point just yet, but through the ups and downs the 32-year-old has weathered throughout her career, she has found a way to accept the imminent next stage of her life.
“It’s okay to be scared. Most especially in our generation, it’s okay to sometimes fall again and get back up. It’s a scary, scary world, but you just have to be out there and really try it out…
“Kinakabahan pa ako when I try new things. But, sabi nga nila, when you feel nervous, it might be something that’s worthwhile.”
But even when she is off the court and away from the spotlight, Alyssa is still competitive by nature. “Competitiveness brings me joy,” she says. “I love trying out new things. I like challenging myself. I like being competitive. So, I play golf, it makes me happy right now; trying tennis, trying other things that are sports-related.”
On top of this, Alyssa has also been hosting free sports clinics for kids around the Philippines, her way of paying it forward for everything her sport has given her. She dreams that Filipino athletes will continue to strive for their dreams, and she plans to continue advocating for Philippine sports.
When it comes to life after volleyball, Alyssa is still keeping her options open. She isn’t sure what exactly comes next. As one of the pioneers in Philippine volleyball’s professional scene, she acknowledges that there’s no blueprint yet for what her next move should be. As she says, this path is a river, and she is still allowing the current to keep flowing.
But even in the face of uncertainty, she still stands tall, knowing how far she has come from those grass courts in Batangas.
“It’s always nice to remember all the little things. I feel like it’s where I stood and where I’m standing right now.”
When The GAME asked her if she could send a message to her younger self, she had to pause for a moment to reflect.
Looking back at those early days in the sport, all the success she has earned, and everything that volleyball has given her — an immeasurable amount that she is grateful for — she can’t help but smile.
“I’m proud of her because she started it all, and she wasn’t scared to try it out,” she says.
“Honestly, hindi ko alam kung bakit siya nag-start ng volleyball. Aside from I’m proud of her, now that you’ve asked me, alam mo, idol ko siya in the sense na grabe her heart. She has a big heart in sports, and ang tapang niya to actually go out there. Even though di siya ganun siya ka-galing. She’s being herself. She’s a strong person.
“Grabe yung younger self ko. Alam mo, there are a lot of moments na dapat mag-give up na ako. Kasi, I wasn’t actually part of the first six. I was actually just giving water to my teammates back in high school. When I was training, I was the pinakalab or pinakalamba. She has all those reasons na pwede na siya mag-give up.
“But I don’t know the reason why she stood up and tried it again and again. It led her to where I am.
“So, thank you for being that strong woman.”
Text ANNIKA CANIZA
Photography KITKAT PAJARO assisted by ALBERT CALAGUAS
Hair and Makeup CATS DEL ROSARIO
Styling JM GUMATAY assisted by SASA ABDUL and CARL PABILONA
Creative Direction CAS ASEOCHE
Sittings Editor ANNIKA CANIZA
Shot on Location PRETTY HUGE BGC
Production Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA