Amid longstanding university rivalries that sometimes extend to the pros, volleyball stars always share mutual experiences of struggle and success that only they truly understand.

Former De La Salle University standout Jolina Dela Cruz shared on Thursday an anecdote about her first long conversation with the “Phenom” Alyssa Valdez at the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft, which also made her realize why Valdez was dubbed as such.

“Every time we bump into each other, [A]te Ly always tells me, ‘Pagaling,’ until I got the chance to talk to her during the PVL draft,” she wrote.

The recovering Farm Fresh Foxie is currently on a break from volleyball after falling to a right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year.

Jolina said Alyssa talked to her about how she managed to recuperate from her injury.

Alyssa also humbly admitted how difficult it was before asking her how she was overcoming hers.

The former Lady Spiker did not share more details about their conversation, but she said it was such a sincere one. It was at that moment that she felt the “Phenom” magic.

Alyssa’s injury, which she sustained back in December 2022, required a surgical procedure as a remedy, and it took her seven months before she was able to perform on the taraflex with the Creamline Cool Smashers again.

Meanwhile, based on previous reports, Jolina is expected to miss the first nine months of the 2024 PVL season, which includes the upcoming Reinforced Conference.

She has not seen action as a Foxie yet after sustaining her injury when she played for the now-disbanded F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.