By: Ohmer Bautista
During the opening day match-up between Creamline and the Petro Gazz Angels, disaster struck the Cool Smashers.
Creamline ace Alyssa Valdez had to be carried off the playing court after a hard fall.
She incurred her injury in the second set. Valdez slipped then fell hard while trying to retrieve a ball sailing wide, hurting her left ankle in the process.
Her absence instigated a downward spiral for her team, as the Valdez-less Cool Smashers then absorbed a three-set stunner from the Angels.
Medical staff have yet to determine her diagnosis.
Fortunately, according to one of Creamline’s personnel, the product of Ateneo noted that there is no swelling and that the pain is likely caused by a sprain.
“She has pain in her ankle and it seems na she sprained it. That’s as much as I can say,” the team official said.
“Pero walang swelling, pain lang.”
Still, despite a sour start to her season and her team’s title-retention bid, the Outside Hitter out of San Juan, Batangas solely turns her focus to recovery, so she can immediately return and help her team in the upcoming games.
“Baka therapy tomorrow. Depende, depende.
“Pagkagising the next day siguro dun malalaman. Hopefully, walang serious na nangyari sa akin and hopefully, I can play on Wednesday,” the five-time PVL MVP said as they take on Bali Pure next.
On a different note, when asked about what led to her team’s downfall against Petro Gazz, the captain simply lauded the opposing team for playing a better brand of volleyball.
“Saan nagkulang? Well, that will be Petro Gazz really played well today,” Valdez opined. “Props to all the imports of Petro Gazz. They really helped the Petro Gazz to win.
“‘Yung mga locals also contributed kaya maganda talaga ‘yung ginawa nila.”
