For the first time in months, the Creamline Cool Smashers found themselves on the losing end — but for team captain Alyssa Valdez, it was exactly what they needed.
Rather than dwelling on the sting of defeat, Valdez called their five-set heartbreak against PLDT a “good loss.”
She sees it as a crucial wake-up call that could sharpen their edge heading into the business end of the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
“Honestly, I think we’ve been through different losses na rin naman throughout conferences. But that was actually something na masasabi namin na at the end of the day, wake-up call talaga,” said Valdez, following the team’s bounce-back victory against Galeries Tower on Thursday.
Creamline appeared on track for a preliminary sweep after winning its first nine games, but PLDT halted the defending champions’ dominant run.
They took a hard-fought 28-30, 21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 14-16 victory at the Ynares Center in Antipolo last Saturday.
The loss snapped Creamline’s 19-game winning streak, which spanned six months and three conferences.
Three-time league MVP Valdez reiterated that the setback came at the right time, allowing the team to refocus as they prepare for the qualifying round.
“But we were humbled by that loss at the end of the day, so we worked hard the next day and made sure na gagawin namin ‘yung trabaho namin and roles namin,” said Valdez.
“So with that loss siguro, we would say na we have so much things, so many things to improve on pa as a team. It was a good loss for us, if that makes sense,” she added.
Bouncing back from their stinging defeat, the Cool Smashers responded with a dominant 25-15, 26-24, 25-19 win over Galeries Tower. And in they process, they secured the top seed in the preliminaries on Thursday evening at the Philsports Arena.
(C) PVL Images
Valdez, who played only two sets against PLDT, was in peak form against Galeries Tower, finishing with 16 points, seven excellent digs, and seven excellent receptions.
The 31-year-old outside hitter credited her all-around performance to the team’s intense training, highlighting how head coach Sherwin Meneses played a crucial role in her defensive improvement.
“Well, I would say siguro how hard it was. Binibigyan na ako ng mga tips ni coach Sherwin (Meneses). Ganun na siya nase-stress sa’kin. Lagi akong target sa training, lahat. So honestly, ‘yun ‘yung isa sa mga important things na kung nag-improve ‘man ako sa digs and service at receive ko, it was because of coach Sherwin. Minor details, he actually tells me, and it actually works,” Valdez shared.
“It helped me improve my game, so thank you, coach Sherwin. I’m just really happy na kahit papaano, nadadala ko rin siya sa game. So thank you, thank you, Lord. Alam mo talagang inspiration ko ‘yung mga teammates ko kasi lagi nila akong tina-target sa practices, every single day. So maraming salamat sa effort ng teammates ko and for being patient.”
Now heading into the qualifying round, where they will face the lowest-ranked team from the prelims, Valdez stressed that the Cool Smashers will stay focused, taking it one game at a time while ensuring they are well-prepared for the bigger battles ahead.
“We’ll take it one game at a time. Definitely, I think one of the skills na na-improve ng halos lahat would be the system and the blocking eh. I guess we’re gonna work on our counter-attacks pa rin and basics, disiplina most definitely sa sistema namin,” said the Ateneo great.
“So may mga sistema kami na kailangan pa rin naming ma-perfect. Basics, kapag free ball, ‘pag mahihinang bola, at the end of the day kailangan namin siyang kahit papaano ma-perfect din. ‘Yun ‘yung mga minor details that will help us in the end of the game, and ‘yun ‘yung magma-matter lalo na kapag dikitan. So we’ll work on counter-attacks and basic balls.”
