Alyssa Valdez is bracing Creamline for a tougher grind ahead, urging the Cool Smashers to “work harder and smarter” as they head into what she expects to be a challenging semifinals campaign in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
The Cool Smashers enter the round-robin semifinals having lost to all three of their Final Four opponents — PLDT, Farm Fresh, and Cignal — earlier in the conference.
“Most of, if not all, the teams na nasa semifinals, ‘yun yung nakatalo sa amin din sa eliminations and qualifying round,” said Valdez after their semis-clinching win over the Chargers last Tuesday.
“So it’s a very interesting semifinals for us, and we really have to work harder and smarter sa semifinals.”
Creamline opened its campaign on the wrong end of a straight-set defeat to the High Speed Hitters, 22-25, 17-25, 23-25. Then it absorbed a 16-25, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25 loss to Farm Fresh in their penultimate prelims game — a result that nearly derailed their run to the qualifying round.
Needing a strong finish to secure a safer path forward, the Cool Smashers eked out a five-set win over the Super Spikers in their final prelims match, 25-19, 25-20, 15-25, 26-28, 16-14. But they saw the same squad turn the tables in their qualifying round matchup, 21-25, 26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 15-17, sending the 10-time champs to the play-in route for a semifinals berth.
(C) PVL Images
Still, Creamline showed its trademark resilience when it mattered most. It bounced back with a four-set win over Akari, 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-16, last Tuesday in the knockout match to clinch the final ticket to the semifinals, with Valdez leading the way.
The three-time league MVP has been carrying the team since the latter part of the prelims due to injuries to Bernadeth Pons and Jema Galanza. And she delivered another vintage performance against the Chargers with 20 points, 19 excellent digs, and eight excellent receptions.
From fighting for a qualifying round spot to playing with their season on the line, Creamline eventually clawed its way into the semifinals. Valdez credited a nothing-to-lose mindset that allowed her to give her all in every match.
“Halos every game kasi, do-or-die yung games, so siguro mentality ko coming into every match is to give my all talaga. There’s nothing to lose na eh. Basta ibigay mo yung — I think yun yung nasa isip ko. Kung ibigay mo lahat, wala kang ititira; may reward ’yon. Kung ano man yung reward na yun, sa dulo ko pa malalaman,” Valdez said.
“Sa past few games, kahit papaano, binibigay namin lahat. Naka-dalawang panalo kami, isa, napakaganda rin nung game against Cignal. So ganoon lang yung mentality. Kung ipapasok, kung ano, gagawin lang yung trabaho at ibibigay buong puso.“
But she knows the road will only get tougher from here, and she wants the team to stay locked in on the same nothing-to-lose, one-game-at-a-time mindset as they face a more demanding stretch in the semifinals.
