Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez. PVL Media
MANILA -- Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez showed that she is more than capable of still playing at an elite level, as she delivered for the Cool Smashers during a crucial match in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference.
Valdez displayed her vintage form in a sensational five-set win against Cignal on Saturday, putting up a triple-double of 22 points, 13 digs, and 13 receptions.
Her all-around effort powered the undermanned Cool Smashers to a 25-19, 25-20, 15-25, 26-28, 16-14 triumph at the close of the preliminaries, and sealed their place in the qualifying round of the conference.
READ: Creamline secures qualifying round spot after crucial, grueling win vs Cignal
Her performance earned Valdez her first PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live in the league’s professional era.
She edged Farm Fresh’s Royse Tubino in a close voting contest as well as another Foxy in Trisha Tubu, Akari’s Eli Soyud, Nxled’s Brooke Van Sickle, and Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina for the citation for March 17 to 21, awarded by print and online reporters covering the pioneering professional volleyball league organized by Sports Vision.
There were already signs of a resurgence from Valdez earlier in the week.
In Creamline’s 16-25, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25 loss to Farm Fresh in Sta. Rosa, played without head coach Sherwin Meneses and fellow stars Jema Galanza and Bernadeth Pons, Valdez still produced 14 points and 11 digs in just her second start of the conference.
"I think every game, it's more of a reminder for myself and for the team that we're still here," Valdez said of her performances.
"If there's something to motivate myself, ang hirap din kasi to actually just think of other people. So ngayon, parang ako, iniisip ko talaga na it's a reminder na kaya pa and I'll just do my part in practice and kapag kailangan, tutulong tayo."
With a qualifying-round rematch against the Super Spikers set, the spotlight grows brighter with an outright semifinals berth on the line.
And if history is any indication, that is exactly where Valdez and the Cool Smashers thrive.
"It's not more on trying to prove anything but siguro mas more on trying to stick together and making sure sa sarili ko and sa team na magkakasama kami hanggang dulo," she said.
"We stick together, we go to this battle together. Lalaban kami hanggang kung saan aabutin."
Creamline and Cignal meet again on Thursday, March 26, in the qualifying round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the match streamed live and on demand via the Pilipinas Live app and on www.pvl.ph.