Alyssa Valdez continues to stand tall as one of Philippine volleyball’s finest, and Sunday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena served as another testament to her greatness.
The 32-year-old Valdez was named one of the two Best Outside Spikers in the 2025 PVL On Tour after tallying 69 points in the preliminary round — good for 10th in the league — while also ranking among the leaders in several skill categories.
She finished seventh in spiking (31.75-percent), ninth in service (0.32 aces per set), and 10th in receiving (35.12-percent efficiency), earning her a spot as Best Outside Spiker alongside Petro Gazz’s Myla Pablo.
But for Creamline’s captain and cornerstone, this accolade represents more than just another trophy. It serves as a reminder that patience pays off.
“After two years of siguro… Rollercoaster ride in terms of my therapy and getting back. I’m just very, very happy na kahit papaano meron tayong statement din na kahit papaano nakakabalik na,” said Valdez after receiving her record ninth positional award.
“I just really want to say thank you, and I’m so grateful to all the people behind na tumutulong sa akin na makabalik ako. You know who you are and maraming, maraming salamat.”
(C) PVL Images
Valdez missed two conferences in 2024 — the Reinforced and the Invitational — due to a nagging knee injury before making her comeback in the six-month-long All-Filipino tournament that kicked off in November 2024.
That conference became her proving ground, where she slowly regained her rhythm, often coming off the bench while Jema Galanza and Bernadeth Pons held the starting outside hitter spots.
With Pons now back on the sands representing the country, Valdez returned to the starting six for this inaugural preseason tournament and showed that she still has plenty left to give.
Fueled by her enduring passion, Valdez hopes this award inspires her to stay at the top of her game for years to come.
“Honestly, syempre it’s a big pressure and responsibility pa rin getting an award but definitely it’s a confidence-booster din talaga and sana magtuloy tuloy lang din yung magagandang games and makatulong pa rin talaga ako sa team.”
#WATCH: ALL WORTH IT 🙌
Alyssa Valdez shares that her long sacrifice in therapy paid off after earning the #PVLonTour Best Outside Hitter award! 🏐
📹 Jonash Dannug/Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/9MaGWoOvgI
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) August 17, 2025
