This year’s Shakey’s V-League Open Conference has just concluded, with the PLDT Home Ultera Ultra Fast Hitters defeating the Army Lady Troopers in Game Three of the Finals.
League MVP, Alyssa Valdez was a beast as she led both teams in scoring for every game in the series. She scored 25 points in Game One, the only time PLDT lost all conference, and Alyssa’s first local loss in almost a year. In Game Two, she powered her team to victory with 26 huge points to force a deciding match, While in game three, her 29 points helped her team claim its first Shakey’s V-League trophy, all in all averaging 26 points per game.
Despite her dominant performance, Alyssa has been banged up lately, what with playing constantly for almost two years with very minimal rest, but when asked if she was getting tired from the constant competition, she stressed that she did not think of it that way, because she is doing what she loves.
“Hindi naman sa hindi napapagod, but then after all the paghihirap, you really enjoy what you’re doing eh. You really love the sport and yung mga kasama mo sa court, pati yung mga sumusuporta sayo. Nakakawala ng pagod din, it’s our outlet din if we’re stressed or [if] we’re really down,” shared Alyssa.
Now that the Shakey’s V-League is over, Alyssa will be heading to Singapore in a few days to represent the country in the SEA Games. This means that she will be playing alongside some of her former opponents in the Army Lady Troopers, namely Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and Dindin Santiago-Manabat.
Don’t think that there will be any awkwardness in the team, for even though they were just recently playing on opposite ends of the court, Alyssa is embracing the opportunity to play alongside her fellow athletes.
“We mean business talaga when we’re inside the court. We represent our own companies, our own teams, but then if we play together, ayun nga it’s a healthy competition. Kasi siyempre lahat nagpeperform ng maganda, so there’s a healthy competition in the national team. I’m really looking forward to being teammates with them. They’re all veterans, they’re all veterans of the generation.”
Alyssa will also play alongside a member of the NU Lady Bulldogs and colleague in PLDT, Jaja Santiago. While Alyssa spearheaded the offense for PLDT during the Finals, Jaja has been the stabilizer for the team, surprising opponents with her powerful quick attacks that earned her the Finals MVP plum. Valdez was all praise for her teammate, as she shared that Jaja is one of the hardest working members of the team.
“Jaja really deserves the MVP, she really works hard sa training, twice a day, thrice a day. andun siya. This championship it’s not only for me, it’s not only for the company, it’s for all the fans na sumusuporta sa amin. It’s the success of not only the team, but the tournament din, the Shakey’s V-League. Tignan mo naman everyone came here to support.”
With such a powerful cast, there is high hopes for the Singapore bound team, but one thing is for sure: win or lose, they will be proudly welcomed back once they return to the country.
