Appreciating Alyssa: A look at Valdez’s career highlights

MANILA, Philippines – “The Phenom,” “The Queen Eagle,” “The Best Volleyball Player in the Country.” 

 

These are some of the titles given to volleybelle Alyssa Valdez. Aside these monikers, Philstar.com came with a list of some of Valdez’s defining moments in her young career.

 

(Rick Olivares/Bleachers Brew)

 

Before donning the blue-and-white jersey for Ateneo de Manila University, Valdez steered high school powerhouse University of Santo Tomas to three UAAP junior’s volleyball championships. In her early playing years, she won numerous individual awards, including MVP honors from UAAP Seasons 71-72 and Shakey’s Girls Volleyball League Best Attacker from 2008-2010, and was named UAAP 71 Athlete of the Year for the juniors’ division.

 

Valdez continued her onslaught in the seniors’ division with the Lady Eagles. In Season 75, she broke the record for most points scored by a player in a game when she unleashed 35 markers anchored on 31 attacks, three blocks and a service ace in their second round meeting with the Adamson Lady Falcons. In 2014, she broke Jaroensri Bualee’s Shakey’s V-League scoring record when she scored 342 points the whole conference, a point higher than Bualee’s.

 

After two back-to-back heartbreak losses to archrivals De La Salle University Lady Spikers, Valdez led a young Lady Eagles squad to their first UAAP crown in Season 77. The Lady Eagles erased La Salle’s thrice-to-beat advantage for the championship. She was named the season and finals Most Valuable Player. Ateneo went on to defend its crown the following season, and Valdez was named season MVP anew.

 

Valdez represented the country in different occasions. She led the PH Youth 16-Under National Team in 2008 when the Philippines hosted the competition. She was also a member of the National team who competed in the 2014 FIVB Southeast Asian Zone Women’s Volleyball Qualifier. In 2015, she was named team captain of the Women’ U23 Volleyball team and became the country’s flag bearer in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

 

After her UAAP career came to a close, Valdez launched her own skills camp to teach volleyball to kids in the country. The AV Skills Camp 2 drew a thousand participants from seven legs. She is also going on tours to different places for exhibition matches to expand the sport’s reach.

 

The list can go on and on considering that Valdez is at the peak of her career, but for now this will do.

 

Is your favorite Alyssa Valdez moment on the list or not? Sound off in the comments section and let us know!