Valdez pays homage to PVL

CEBU CITY --- No other player shares the journey and growth of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) to what it is today quite like Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez.

An established fixture and the face of the league since its rebranding a decade ago, Valdez celebrated a personal career milestone alongside the PVL’s 10th anniversary.

The 11-time champion officially entered her 10th season with the only local commercial or professional league she played in since graduating from college on Saturday in front of a record 19,106-strong crowd inside the state-of-the-art SM Seaside Cebu Arena.

Valdez, a proud product of Ateneo de Manila University, admitted that she never thought she’d still be playing at such a highly competitive level at the age of 33 — considering the mileage on her volleyball career.

“It’s a very, very huge milestone in my career. I never really thought I’d be playing for this long after I graduated from college,” said Valdez after the Cool Smashers’ 25-18, 25-21, 25-18, sweep of Akari to start the All-Filipino Conference Siklab series.

“I never imagined that I’ll enjoy and love volleyball this much for even 10 years or more,” she added.

The three-time PVL Most Valuable Player also expressed gratitude to the league for providing an avenue for volleyball players to compete at a higher level and actually make a living playing the sport.

“It’s a huge milestone for PVL, but definitely it’s a bigger milestone for us players to be part of that 10th anniversary, and part of that 10th year of the PVL,” Valdez said.

“It’s a testament also for the PVL that they’re really bringing security and careers for the younger generation, and to all of us here,” she added.

For Valdez, the PVL is home for local volleyball talents.

“I just want to say thank you to PVL for making sure that we have a home in this community, and we have a space in this community,” she said.