Alyssa back on court

After sitting out the AVC Cup and ASEAN Grand Prix to recover from dengue, volleyball phenom Alyssa Valdez will be back in a Creamline uniform when the 10-team PVL reinforced conference opens at the PhilSports Arena on Oct. 8. The Cool Smashers are in line for a Grand Slam after bagging the Open and Invitational titles but it won’t be easy with a bulls eye target on their backs.

Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said the exposure the team got representing the country in the AVC Cup and ASEAN Grand Prix was invaluable and will enhance its chances in the coming conference. He declined to name Creamline’s import but said she’s a 6-2 versatile player from Turkey, an outside and opposite hitter. “Medyo veteran na siya kaya easy to adjust,” he said.

It was a virtual marathon for Creamline playing in the PVL Invitationals, AVC Cup and ASEAN Grand Prix with only a few days of rest during intervals. Playing in the ASEAN Grand Prix was the culmination of the grind and the Cool Smashers took a trip to Nakhon Ratchasima for the matches. Creamline was winless in the tournament, bowing to Thailand, 25-17, 25-22, 25-12, Vietnam, 25-12, 25-16, 25-16 and Indonesia, 26-24, 25-22, 25-23. The Cool Smashers battled to the last point and earned the admiration of fans. Kyla Atienza was named Best Libero in the competition where Vietnam rebounded from a pair of fourth place finishes in the first two stagings to claim the silver medal.

Valdez went down with dengue during the break after the PVL Invitationals and before the AVC Cup. She recovered in time to join Creamline for the ASEAN Grand Prix in Thailand but doctors advised her not to play. Valdez became the Cool Smashers’ No. 1 cheerleader and morale booster.

Although she’s the Creamline captain, Valdez said her teammates are all captains in their own right. “To tell you the truth, they’re all captains in their own teams before joining Creamline so I have no worries at hindi ako natatakot pag may mga decisions sila but sometimes, siyempre lalo na yung mga mas bata, you guide them in terms of how to handle themselves inside the court, in crucial games or even off the court,” she said. “Yun lang naman sinasabi ko as an Ate actually, not a captain but as an Ate kasi most of us talagang leader. In our team, everyone is respectful of each other and that is the one thing that I really like in the team, the respect that we instill in each other.”

Valdez said at Creamline, the players also learn from each other. “It’s a good mix, may mas mga bata sa amin, mas mature at mas matagal na naglalaro,” she continued. “We have open communication kung ano yung dapat gawin, kung sino yung nasa line or the other players will talk to us na parang, ‘Ate, what if ganito?’” As for advice to aspiring athletes, Valdez said it’s essential to remember that failure is part of every success. “Sometimes, you’re going to fail, sometimes, you make mistakes, you will not get the championship point, you’re not going to win the title or any awards but I hope you know that those are part of everyone’s success or pinagdadaanan, part of the journey so don’t be scared, don’t fear when you go out there, when you chase your dreams and do that little extra effort to make the difference between being good and being great,” she said. “Maliliit na bagay but it will make you a great athlete or a great person so have fun on everything that you do.”