MANILA, Philippines — Creamline’s Alyssa Valdez made her best performance in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference after stuffing the statistical sheet with 22 points, 13 excellent receptions, and 13 excellent digs in a cardiac five-set match over Cignal.
The Cool Smashers outlasted the gutsy Super Spikers, 25-19, 25-20, 15-25, 26-28, 16-14, on Saturday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
With the absence of Jema Galanza and Bernadeth Pons in the match, Valdez doubled up her efforts to lift her squad over the Vanie Gandler-led Cignal.
"I'm very, very happy for everybody, and everybody actually stepped up today and made sure they were really doing their jobs,” Valdez said during the post-game presser.
“Coming off a loss against Farm Fresh, there was one thing we were told and reminded of: we’re already here, we really have to work with what we have, and the perfect term for us right now is 'perfect effort,’” she recalled after bouncing back from a two-game skid.
In the fifth frame, Valdez remained focused and believed that she and her teammates could power through.
“During the latter part of the game. What’s on my mind is that we’re already here. We’re holding onto each other. We will fight, and I told them that I will be grateful for where the Lord takes us.”
Dij Rodriguez also churned out a triple-double performance of 19 points, 12 excellent digs, and 17 excellent receptions.
Jia De Guzman, who was out in the fifth set as she felt a pain in her right leg during the fourth frame, finished with 24 excellent sets.
Gandler did everything she could to lift her squad with 26 points, along with 19 excellent digs and 15 excellent receptions, but it was not enough to conquer the win-hungry Cool Smashers.
Creamline will face Cignal once more in the qualifying round. The winner of the match will advance to the semifinals.