DASMARIÑAS, CAVITE — The long wait is over.
After a grueling six-month recovery from a knee injury, Tots Carlos finally stepped back onto the court for Creamline, rekindling the excitement of fans who had been eagerly anticipating her return.
Saturday night’s opener of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference, however, proved to be a bittersweet homecoming.
The Cool Smashers went down in a five-set thriller against Akari, 25-23, 23-25, 28-30, 25-23, 12-15, in a match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats at Dasmariñas Arena.
“Well, it was a bit complicated kasi yung injury ko. So, we had to figure out talaga kung ano yung nagwo-work sa 'kin,” Carlos shared after the match. “So, yun lang, sabi ko nga sa interview kanina, it took me a lot of patience and discipline to get back.”
Despite the tough loss, Carlos proved she hadn’t lost her touch.
The three-time PVL Most Valuable Player tallied 12 points, showing flashes of the dominance that made her one of the league’s most feared attackers.
It was her first action since Game 3 of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference, and her performance hinted that Creamline still has a potent weapon in their roster.
The road to recovery, Carlos admitted, wasn’t easy.
“Mindset also kasi, you know, when you have injuries, it's frustrating, so you really have to be patient. I learned a lot from everything that happened with my injury,” she said.
“So, that's one thing to look at the other side naman. So, I'm happy naman na rin nakabalik ako.”
Now fully focused on regaining her signature form, Carlos is determined to help Creamline reclaim the Reinforced Conference crown.
