Philippine volleyball legend Alyssa Valdez has some newfound motivation in her return to action with the Creamline Cool Smashers.
With a nagging knee injury, Alyssa Valdez was forced to sit out the remainder of the 2024 PVL season, watching from the bench as her Creamline Cool Smashers finally completed a Grand Slam amid a campaign filled with challenges and uncertainties.
Four months later, Valdez would make her long-awaited return as Creamline opened their 2024-2025 All-Filipino Conference against the Petro Gazz Angels. The Phenom came off the Cool Smashers’ bench to finish with four points built on three kills and a block as she showed flashes of her killer form to open the new PVL season against a longtime rival.
“Honestly, I was nervous awhile ago talaga! But super excited to be able to be part of the 14-player lineup lang. I was super blessed na kasi syempre coming from an injury, iba din ‘yung feeling na nakasama sa line-up. So, sobra talaga ‘yung kaba ko, but sabi nga ni coach [Sherwin Meneses], it’s a total team effort,” said Valdez, who played before 5,900 fans at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Saturday.
“So, hindi mo talaga mafefeel na may daladala ka, you just have to perform and bring yourself out there, carry yourself out there, just help each other,” she added following the 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 sweep over the Angels.
Valdez was sidelined during the 2024 Reinforced and Invitational Conferences along with Tots Carlos and the Alas Pilipinas-bound Jema Galanza. Inevitably, part of this was a grueling recovery period with its ups and downs for the Phenom.
However, this also sharpened the 31-year-old’s resolve, and allowed for some self-reflection away from the taraflex.
“To be honest, it wasn’t easy. It’s hot and cold, may mga days na okay, may mga days na hindi talaga. But I think that’s part of the process talaga. Mas dun tumitibay ‘yung loob, ‘yung katawan. Tsaka dun talaga nareinvent ko din ‘yung sarili ko, ‘yung nahanap ko kung sino ako. So I guess I saw volleyball in a different perspective, that’s why I’m glad to be back and I’m glad enjoying the sport as well,” she reflected.
Watching Creamline’s holdovers step up amid adversity was also an eye opener for Valdez. Veterans Michele Gumabao and Bernadeth Pons led Creamline in her absence, along with setter Kyle Negrito and import Erica Staunton.
Middle blockers Pangs Panaga and Bea de Leon provided meaningful contributions, while Galanza even returned during the Invitational Conference Finals following her national team commitments.
“Being on the sidelines for two conferences, I saw how talented, amazing my teammates are, that’s one thing for sure,” she said. “How they wanna play volleyball in such a way na nagtutulungan talaga sila, so I think from then on, because of that as well, I realized that I just have to actually enjoy the sport again, and be back and play happier than ever. So yeah, hopefully ‘yun ‘yung energy na maitulong ko rin sa kanila pag finill-in ako ni coach. So hopefully magtuloy-tuloy.”
Now, it’s now up to Alyssa Valdez to keep herself in tip-top shape amid a six-month-long conference while working her way back to peak form. Part of that will be religiously adhering to Creamline’s training and therapy regimen, which has greatly impacted her recovery leading up to the All-Filipino Conference.
Being in a veteran team, Valdez will also learn from her teammates’ own physical fitness hacks.
“May it just be simple vitamins or kung ano ‘yung recovery na ginawa nila. So we take that into consideration also, so ‘yung mga maliliit na bagay, it will definitely help us in the long run. So ngayon, kailangan namin,” she shared.
And as she returns to action, Alyssa Valdez is also coming in with a newfound appreciation for the little things. Given this, the Phenom refuses to rush her full recovery, and would rather be grateful for being able to play the sport that she loves dearly again.
From cheering on the sidelines, she can now put on a Creamline uniform again to help her sisters as they continue to write their chapter Philippine volleyball history.
“It’s just so nice to feel that I’m able to jump again, to spike again, to help the team. So if you’re going to ask me how far I am [from fully recovering], I think right now, I just wanna celebrate what I have right now, on the present. I wanna stay in the present, that’s one thing I learned also,” said the Ateneo icon.
“Present, and celebrate small wins. Stay in the present and just be glad and be grateful for everything that’s going on right now. So sana lang, I take it really one day at a time. Hopefully mas ma-enjoy ko pa and mas makatulong sa team at sana makabalik ako sa 100 percent.”
Banner image courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.