To her credit, Valdez has resembled the NBA MVP Kobe Bryant. But unlike the Laker great, she’s doing it with an infectious smile.
The three-time UAAP MVP regularly wears Kobe Bryant’s signature Nikes, and she now dons the Transformers’ jersey in the same purple and gold colors as Bryant’s NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Moreover, Valdez also gets points — and she gets them in bunches.
Asked if she liked the idea of being called Philippine volleyball’s Black Mamba, Valdez laughed in approval.
Against the Power Smashers, the proud Batangueña was in full-tilt “Mamba Mentality” as she torched Laoag for a Shakey’s V-League record 39 points en route to a tight five-set win.
Valdez has surpassed Adamson University great Angela Benting for the feat.
“Sobrang idol ko ‘yun si ate Angela,” Valdez remarked when informed of her momentous performance. “I’m just really lucky lang ‘rin siguro to have great teammates around me and coaches that always guide me and support me.”
“Sobrang thankful ko din for my former teammates and coaches kasi this wouldn’t be possible without them.”
On his part, Customs head coach Sherwin Meneses thought he was the lucky one.
“Sobrang swerte ko na sa amin naglalaro si Alyssa,” Meneses said. “Sinsabi ko na nga lang sa team na tulungan nila si Alyssa sa kung anumang oaraan na kaya nila. Mabuti na lang at kinaya pa rin namin.”
Meneses’ relief comes after four of his main rotation players have been unable to play for varying eligibility reasons. Their two imports have yet to receive clearance from the FIVB, while Pau Soriano and Lilet Mabbayad have found themselves in a contract dispute with their mother team, the Philippine Navy Lady Corvettes.
Customs needed every bit of Valdez’s brilliance to get past Laoag.
“Sobrang ganda ng defense ng Laoag kanina. They really made it hard for us to score kaya we worked hard and stayed focused lang,” Valdez admitted.
Having famously lifted her alma mater Ateneo de Manila University to unprecedented heights, Valdez knows how to respond to another challenging season with Customs.
“It’s tough kasi we get to practice as a whole team talaga and then we find out na lang before the game na hindi pa pala puwedeng maglaro ‘yung iba naming teammates,” the 23 year old said.
“We dedicated na lang this game to them and, hopefully, makasama na namin sila sa court in our next games.”
But just like Bryant during the Lakers’ rebuilding stage in the mid-2000’s, Valdez continues to persevere.
