Creamline Cool Smashers team captain Alyssa Valdez feels that she’s ‘close to retiring’ after playing volleyball for 20 years now. ‘I’m also planning for the future. What more I can do now, so I’m trying other things from hosting to news anchoring,’ she shares. Photo from Alyssa Valdez's Facebook page
DIRECT LINE CONVERSATIONS - Boy Abunda - The Philippine Star
January 1, 2025 | 12:00am
Alyssa Valdez has finally returned to the volleyball court scene after suffering from a right knee injury. Her four-month break caused her to miss some of Creamline Cool Smashers’ crucial games. Yet on the brighter side, it gave her ample time to fully recover and regain strength for her comeback in the team lineup.
Volleyball fans saw Alyssa’s return to the playing court at the recent Creamline Cool Smashers game in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The Phenom was radiant in her spaghetti strap top and baggy pants when she made a guest appearance on GMA 7’s “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.”
“Finally, I’m able to play again, Tito Boy,” she happily declared.
It was sports analyst Boom Gonzalez who gave Alyssa the moniker Phenom back in college when the volleyball star was still a varsity player at Ateneo de Manila University.
I love watching sports but in terms of playing the actual sport, please don’t bother anymore to ask how good or bad I am. During the Olympics, I would watch all of the events — volleyball, gymnastics, pole vault, basketball, etc. But my focus was on volleyball and one of the reasons was because everybody was talking about Japanese player Ran Takahashi.
Alyssa revealed she has personally met Ran whom she described as “good-looking and super nice.” She also mentioned how very interactive their conversation was “because back then, he needed to return to Japan. And then, he wanted to show his love for all the fans kasi hindi niya natapos ‘yung games niya dito sa Manila.”
Alyssa agreed that volleyball is a fast-paced and intense sport that does not only require physical agility but also mental toughness. Staying focused and confident is essential to achieving success on the court whether a player is a beginner or a seasoned player like Alyssa, the team captain of Creamline Cool Smashers since 2017.
“At the end of the day, Tito Boy, you’ve been practicing every single day. So, technically for me, sports ay parang nagiging muscle memory siya in the long run. But the very crucial, and important role in the sport is your mental capacity, your mental toughness — how you handle every situation because, at the end of the day, Tito Boy, hindi ka naman laging nananalo or hindi laging tama ‘yung nagagawa mo or decisions mo,” she explained.
Losing in a game is part of the deal. Every time players take the field, there will be a winner and a loser. However, there are times when they still get consumed with frustration, disappointment, and even anger as players question their decisions and performances.
As a team captain, Alyssa said the pressure is high whenever the team is on the verge of losing a game but no one in her team does “blame game” inside the court.
“That’s not what we do in the team,” she stressed. “One thing we do during the game, we stay focused, and I think we meditate talaga. And we try to make sure, since we know each other Tito Boy, we’ve been together as a team for probably seven years, we know how to deal with each other.
“’Pag alam namin na medyo mainit ‘yung ulo ng isa, alam namin kung paano siya kakausapin. If one is quiet, alam namin kung paano siya lalambingin ng konti. So, I think that’s an advantage also, if you’re a team and you have been together for many years, the chemistry is there.”
As a team captain, Alyssa said she is the very chill type “because I let everyone just be themselves.”
Although she’s not discounting the fact that each player has an opinion and each one has a strong character, all team members cooperate to achieve a common goal — to win.
“I think if you earn the respect of everyone, there’s a common denominator, magkakaroon kayo ng compromise sa isa’t-isa. And probably because we are all veterans in the team, nag-kakaintindihan po,” she said.
Alyssa is appreciative of the fans who show their all-out support in every game. They are passionate but not the controlling type.
“(They are) passionate fans in such a way na parang they just really want to show their support. So, pupunta sila kahit nasa ibang lugar sila, mag-tra-travel sila all the way to the venue to watch the games.”
Alyssa has been playing volleyball for many years now and she admitted in the “Guilty or Not Guilty” question that it has already crossed her mind to retire.
I’m clueless if there is a retirement age for volleyball players but Alyssa said that here in the Philippines, there’s no basis yet “in a way na wala pang masyadong women’s sports na nag-pro-professionalize. But I feel like I’m close (to retiring), Tito Boy because I’ve been playing for the past 20 years already,” she pointed out.
“I wanna learn more, especially after my injury, hindi ko na rin tinatanggal sa isip ko na it’s a reality that it will come to an end,” she added.
Change is the only constant in this world that allows people to discover their other skills or talents. In the case of Alyssa, she is ready to reinvent herself to show what else she can do beyond her volleyball career.
“I’m also planning for the future. What more I can do now, so I’m trying other things from hosting to news anchoring, and other stuff,” she shared.
I’ve noticed that Alyssa has a sense of clarity that could easily pass her up as a host or a news anchor.
During the pandemic, she spent most of her time making candles, which led her to start a candle business. Thus, she also highlighted during the interview that she wanted to grow her business. “I’m trying to divert also and explore the business side of things,” she said.
