Alyssa Valdez fought through the flu to deliver a triple-double performance, powering the Creamline Cool Smashers to their first win of the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference against the Petro Gazz Angels.
Not even the flu could slow down Alyssa Valdez.
The Creamline Cool Smashers team captain shrugged off an illness to lead her team to its first win of the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference with a hard-fought 25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 25-20 victory over the Petro Gazz Angels on Thursday, October 16.
Valdez finished with a triple-double of 14 points, 14 excellent digs, and 13 excellent receptions.
Playing through sickness
Despite battling the flu for weeks, Valdez said her eagerness to face the Angels and help her team outweighed any runny nose or coughs.
“Honestly, I was just really excited to play today because, grabe, looking forward to play against Petro Gazz. It’s so complete din and grabe, wala, bringing back so many memories,” Valdez told One Sports.
“Hindi lang ako ‘yung nakakaramdam ng flu ngayon, marami din talaga. But I’m just very, very happy na our PTs, coaching staff, and doctors talagang inalagaan ako. Ilang weeks na akong may ganito, but yeah, keep going lang kasi nga very important ‘yung mga matches.”
[ALSO READ: Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao confident in Creamline preps for PVL Reinforced Conference]
Expanding her skillset
Finishing with a triple-double is nothing new for Valdez.
Alyssa Valdez spikes the ball during Creamline's four-set win against Petro Gazz in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference. | Photo: PVL
Stil, the 32-year-old spiker embraces how far she’s come as an all-around player, sharing that becoming more versatile has been a key focus in recent years.
“I think that’s one thing I’ve been trying to improve every single day kasi back in college, siguro lagi lang attacks ‘yung naka-focus sa'kin,” she explained. “So as we go, we wanted to be a well-rounded player then, like Coco [Schwan] and everyone in the team. So I really focused on putting much effort sa ganung mga skillset pa.”
Building confidence moving forward
The victory gave the Cool Smashers a much-needed lift following a tough five-set loss to the Akari Chargers in their opener.
With the team finally in the win column in Pool B, Valdez hopes the result will give them further momentum while also serving as a reminder to stay grounded.
“Hopefully, it’s really a confidence booster, but definitely, it will humble us also to keep working hard,” she said. “We wanted to feel that we get to enjoy the game again. We play together as one team, we play happy and send good vibes to everyone.”
Up next for Valdez and the Cool Smashers will be the Galeries Tower Highrisers at the Capital Arena in Ilagan City, on Saturday, October 18.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.