The 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference is rewriting the history of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) with its groundbreaking six-month format, running from November to April. This extended schedule, which includes a qualifying round and a play-in tournament before the playoffs, challenges teams to recalibrate their strategies for recovery, conditioning, and preparation.
For the PVL’s first-ever Grand Slam champions, the Creamline Cool Smashers, one key adjustment has been a renewed emphasis on “work-life balance.”
After wrapping up their December matches, the Cool Smashers took an unconventional approach to their downtime. The team traveled to South Korea and Canada, blending the holiday spirit with professional growth by celebrating Christmas, engaging in exhibition matches, and hosting a skills camp.
“I think in this professional setup, we really need to have that balance – work-life balance – and it was given to us,” said star spiker Alyssa Valdez after Creamline’s straight-sets win over Capital1 on Tuesday. “We’re very happy and grateful kasi yung management namin laging nandiyan to support whatever we want to do outside of volleyball also, so magandang balance talaga.”
The Cool Smashers have clearly benefited from this approach, as they extended their perfect start to the season with a commanding 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 victory. Now the lone unbeaten squad in the 12-team field, Creamline is proving that mental and emotional rejuvenation can be as crucial as physical training.
“I think the more reason to perform better kapag nagbabakasyon ka, syempre narerecharge ka, nagkakaroon ka ng new energy, renewed yung inspiration mo to actually play well and perform better in the upcoming games,” Valdez added. “So hopefully, mas nakatulong sa amin yung work-life balance na yun.”
As the Cool Smashers ride the wave of a 5-0 record, their dominance on the court reflects the meticulous planning and execution of their coaching staff. For team captain Alyssa Valdez, the secret to their success lies in fully trusting their coaches’ strategies.
“Honestly, in my personal opinion, I would say it’s really the mind of our coaches – the strategy, the technical side na ginagawa nila,” Valdez explained. “Hindi man namin totally nakikita or naiintindihan yun, but I think it’s the trust we have sa coaches namin, sa kahit anong sitwasyon na ginagawa nila. Nilalagay nila sa court, yun yung paniniwalaan namin – that’s why it’s been working.”
The long tournament presents unique challenges, but Valdez emphasized the importance of maintaining faith in the system and the team’s collective effort. “In these crucial times, especially during a long tournament, we just have to believe in the system and our coaches, and syempre, hard work ng mga teammates.”
