Alyssa Valdez refused to make excuses after Creamline’s heartbreaking exit from the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League, following a lopsided 15-25, 22-25, 16-25 defeat to Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima on Thursday night at the Philsports Arena.
The Cool Smashers, still reeling from a grueling Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference campaign that stretched over five months, looked out of rhythm and disconnected in the must-win match. With limited preparation time and minimal chemistry with their guest players, Creamline struggled to find their footing against the seasoned Thai squad and officially bowed out of semifinal contention.
But Valdez, ever the leader, made it clear: none of that mattered.
“Sabi nga ni coach [Sherwin], we’ll take the losses from this tournament kasi kailangan maghanda. It was actually a tall order din for us kasi we didn’t get to maximize or prepare so much for this tournament, but no excuses,” said the three-time PVL Most Valuable Player.
Creamline’s campaign was always going to be a tall mountain to climb, especially with limited time to blend new imports into the system. But instead of focusing on what could have been, Valdez highlighted the silver lining: the invaluable experience gained.
“Honestly, nakakatuwa lang din kasi kahit papaano, bago yung mga imports, we tried to adjust and hopefully next time, mas ready and mas pulido na yung paghanda namin para sa AVC. We have nothing to lose, but everything to gain in this tournament,” she said.
“I guess one thing that we appreciate from this tournament, iba rin makipaglaro sa ibang teams, sa iba’t-ibang sistema. Na-challenge and na-push din talaga yung sistema namin. Doon mo rin makikita kung ano ba yung mga things to improve namin, individually and as a team. It’s quite a good experience to go outside of your comfort zone every once in a while,” she continued.
Despite the early exit, Valdez believes this tournament loss can serve as a stepping stone—especially after Creamline also fell short in the PVL finals against Petro Gazz.
“This one, iba pagbuo rin yung sistema ng kalaban mo, and we really take that. It was a hard loss for us, pero alam mo, doon ka lang din titibay talaga,” she reflected.
“Sana, ‘yon yung panghahawakan namin sa mga next tournament namin, may it be here in the Philippines representing Creamline, or representing the Philippines. Kung saan ‘man, sana pagtibayan kami nito. Hopefully, madala namin ito even after the loss in the PVL. Magandang experience ito for all of us,” she added.
With both Creamline and PLDT crashing out of the Champions League, only Petro Gazz remains standing as the lone Philippine representative in the continental tournament. The Angels are set to face powerhouse Baic Motor of China on Friday at 7 p.m., in a do-or-die bid to advance deeper into the tournament.
Valdez, always a class act, encouraged Filipino fans to rally behind Petro Gazz as they continue to carry the country’s colors on the international stage.
“We root for all the Philippine teams representing our country, definitely. Isa rin sila sa mga teams na last na magre-represent so we’re gonna support them and cheer for them din. Go Petro Gazz. We cheer for all of them.”
