Ayan Na! CCS Import Erica Staunton, NAGSALITA Na Matapos Ma-BASH! May PASABOG Next Game!

.

.

.

Full video:

Alyssa Valdez glad to replace UAAP heartbreak in Araneta with new PVL title memory

Alyssa Valdez, a core figure of the two most-watched volleyball games in Philippine history, is grateful for fans’ continued support as Creamline nabs its 7th PVL title

MANILA, Philippines – Alyssa Valdez, as a testament to being the undisputed face of Philippine volleyball, has played in front of the two largest crowds in the sport’s local history following Creamline’s successful 2023 PVL All-Filipino title defense against sister team Choco Mucho on Saturday, December 16.

Nearly 24,500 people tuned in at the “Big Dome” Araneta Coliseum to watch Valdez’s Cool Smashers eke out a five-set finals Game 2 heartstopper over the surging Flying Titans to cop their seventh franchise championship – an extended all-time record.

That massive crowd number blew out a previous Philippine volleyball high-water mark set back in 2016, when nearly 23,000 people watched La Salle edge out rival Ateneo in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball.

Fittingly, Valdez was glad Creamline erased that seven-year-long record, as with it came the erasure of an old heartbreak that she never got the chance to make right.

Other Stories

Alas Pilipinas stuns Indonesia, snags bronze in SEA V. League

Despite a tough tournament start, Alas PIilipinas upsets Indonesia in its last game to earn a podium finish in the Southeast Asian V. League

Alas Pilipinas absorbs beatdown against Thailand in SEA V. League

Thailand proves too strong for the Philippines volleyball team as the regional powerhouse pounces on Alas Pilipinas net and floor defense in the Southeast Asia V. League

Convicted Dutch child rapist Steven Van de Velde booed in Olympics beach volleyball debut

The Netherlands beach volleyball team says ‘the past is in the past’ as Paris Olympics crowds boo Steven van de Velde, who was imprisoned only 13 months for the rape of a 12-year-old in 2014

“We were still a bit younger back in those days and it was a heartbreaking loss, definitely. That’s one of my most unforgettable memories too,” said Valdez, the key piece of the 2016 Ateneo squad who graduated on the losing end of a La Salle championship.

“But that’s been changed with a sweet memory, one of the sweetest memories I have right now, and it’s this [PVL finals] win in Araneta Coliseum, so I’m really, really thankful to be back here with even more people watching.”

Valdez, who had been relegated to somewhat of a late-game specialist for Creamline, came in guns blazing in what turned out to be a five-set marathon against Choco Mucho.

Coming in fresh after sitting out all but the first frame, the three-time PVL MVP took charge as she always had in years past, powering down 5 of her 8 points in that crucial 15-point stretch, including the last two hits that sealed yet another Cool Smashers championship.

Ever the humble superstar, Valdez still deflected credit to her teammates and coaches after her masterful takeover, thanking them for covering for her while on the mend from a major right knee injury.

“I think that’s the one advantage we had this conference. We had a deep pool of players and we had excellent strategies from our coaches, from [head] coach Sherwin [Meneses] to our conditioning coach to our [physical therapists],” she continued in Filipino.

“Until the end, we had to be whole. If our number is called, even though we didn’t play in elimination games nor in most sets, we had to have our hearts whole, because the trust given to us in turn is just as whole. If you don’t play, it doesn’t mean you don’t matter.”

While much has changed in the seven years between the two most-watched volleyball games in Philippine history, some things still have stayed the same: Fans can always count on Creamline to deliver when it matters most, and Alyssa Valdez will always be there to make that magic happen.

Got comments, questions, or insights about this story? Head to the sports chat room of the Rappler Communities app, available for iOS, Android, or web. Access our chat rooms by tapping the Community tab on the app. See you there!