EXCLUSIVE: “Humanized by the Loss,” Alyssa Valdez Reflects on Creamline’s Defeat

Alyssa Valdez has seen the highest peaks and the toughest valleys of Philippine volleyball. After more than a decade of wearing her heart on her sleeve—from UAAP battles to national team duties and PVL championships—Valdez remains the face of resilience in the sport.

Following Creamline’s tough loss to Petro Gazz in the All-Filipino Conference finals, Valdez was still composed, thoughtful, and honest in defeat. Her words, though heavy with the weight of the moment, carried the grace of someone who has learned to embrace both victory and heartbreak.

“Failures and losses are part of the journey,” she said, reflecting on what continues to fuel her after all these years. “If it’s not there, I don’t think I would be molded into someone I am today. These are the things that push me to do well and to be better, and to find other purposes on and off the court.”

Valdez, known for her infectious positivity and clutch performances, admits that it’s often the unexpected wins that give her chills—the kind of games where hope blooms in the most unlikely circumstances.

“Every game that we thought we’re gonna lose but won anyway—those are the times when I love how the sport gives me the hope that everyone needs,” she shared. “Those are the times that give me goosebumps.”

But this time, the match didn’t swing in their favor. Creamline, a perennial powerhouse in the PVL, fell to a surging Petro Gazz squad in a result that shocked many. Yet Valdez, ever the leader, found meaning in the loss.

“This will be a loss that we will take with a grateful heart. We feel like we were humanized by this loss,” Valdez told ALL-STAR.

She explained that being on top for so long can sometimes shift your mindset inward—focusing only on how to improve and outdo your past selves. But this defeat served as a reminder of the bigger picture.

The loss wasn’t the end of the story—it was a reset, a moment of clarity. As the Cool Smashers regroup, they’ll rise again—not in spite of the loss, but because of it.

“At the end of the day, after this loss, we realized that we just have to focus on enjoying the game and being who we are inside the court.”