Creamline team captain Alyssa Valdez is looking forward to facing international teams Kobe Shinwa Women’s University and KingWhale Taipei in the upcoming 2022 Premier Volleyball League Invitational playoffs.
Already assured of a seat in the next round after their four-set win against Chery Tiggo last Thursday, Valdez said that this would be the Cool Smashers’ first time going up against foreign squads as a team.
“Very excited. Siguro as a team din, this is the first time na makakapaglaro kami against international na teams e. So we’re very excited as a team, and ayun,” said Valdez after leading Creamline to a straight-set win over Army-Black Mamba on Saturday.
The reigning Open Conference Finals MVP also said that the team will definitely learn a lot when they face both the Japan and Taiwan teams in the semifinals.
That, according to Valdez, will only make the Cool Smashers much, much stronger moving forward.
“I feel like mas marami kaming matututunan talaga. Mas magiging strong pa yung team namin sa mga next na upcoming games,” said the 29-year-old spiker, who had pervious stints with Thailand’s 3BB Nakornnont and Taiwan’s Attack Line.
“Very excited lang, very excited lang we’re really looking forward na mas marami kaming matutunan at na makalaban sila kasi we need experience kasi e.”
Valdez finished with 15 points on 12 attacks, two aces, and a block laced with 11 excellent receptions in Creamline’s 25-20, 25-22, 25-16 win over Army that pushed them at the top of the standings with a 5-1 record.
Despite the dominant win against the Lady Troopers, Valdez believes that the team still has a lot of work to do if they want to clinch one of the two finals slots in the six-team semifinals.
“I think as a team we really have to improve on a lot of things pa,” she said.
“More on cohesiveness and to lessen our errors pa so yun yung mga kailangan naming i-adjust pa coming into the semifinals lalong lalo na syempre mas tight yung games and we have two foreign teams na makakalaban pagdating sa second round.”
