An Enchanting Encounter with Alyssa Valdez

 It’s ALL-STAR’s first-anniversary cover story, and we wanted to make it extra special. How special, you ask? How about spending an entire afternoon at Enchanted Kingdom with none other than Alyssa Valdez.

With the setting being the most magical place in the country coupled with the biggest of sports stars, we were confident that we got what we needed to achieve what we wanted to present to our audience for this anniversary special.

Oh, we got it, alright! But not in the way we thought we would. And how it came about had everything to do with how disarmingly endearing Alyssa Valdez was.

Yes, we shot her with the park open to the public.

Yes, we were often—if not almost always—surrounded by her fans, whether when we were walking or when she was doing her poses.

Yes, everybody wanted a piece of Alyssa, and she handled it like a pro.

Most importantly, yes, everyone—including the fans—had a great time, but I think Alyssa had just as much fun too. (I think the videos, the video interview, and the fan footage will prove I’m not lying.)

“Hindi talaga ako adventurous pagdating sa rides, pero at least once, I will try it for the experience,” Alyssa says as she strolls down one of the pathways to her first stop. She also revealed that she hadn’t been to Enchanted Kingdom in about a decade and how surprised she was at how big it is compared to what she remembers. She also shared that she prefers Anchors Away over the Space Shuttle. She’s not half bad at bumper cars, but she’s especially, especially bad at throwing a tennis ball at plates on display. (LOL, sorry Ly!).

She’s really good at volleyball. But you know what? She’s a killer at posing for the camera and answering our interview questions too! 

What’s in a nickname?

In sports, nicknames are often bestowed upon fan favorites and great players. Alyssa is both. Throughout her playing years, she’s had several. But what people remember her most as would be “The Phenom” in her younger years, and “Ate Ly” more recently.

According to Alyssa herself, “The Phenom” and “Ate Ly” are the same person. What differs is how they handle situations.
“Alyssa as the Phenom would be like, ‘Go, let’s do it,’ whereas Ate Ly would probably say she knows how to choose her battles already,” she shares while laughing.

One area where this is evident would be in her leadership style.

 “I think I used to be—before, most especially back in Ateneo—I would want to say I’m the leader who would walk the talk, that type of way.” She goes on to say that back then, she didn’t know how to express herself by talking to her teammates. Channeling her inner Mamba (RIP Kobe), she says she was more effective leading by example in her youth.

“I’ll work harder to show them that they can follow and respect me.”

As opposed to nowadays, she’s this chill teammate. “Most especially in the pros. Lahat kasi kami matatanda na in a way. And may kanya-kanya kaming experiences (we have our own experiences), so I have to respect that in a way. So I have to let them be, but we have to make sure that we’re on the same page kung ano yung mga gusto naming goals as a team.”

Maturity and self-awareness—traits of a person who has been through a lot in life and has come out stronger multiple times. In her case, her accolades and achievements—as far as the sport of volleyball is concerned and beyond—are well documented. But it wasn’t always the case.

Nowadays, you can find Alyssa’s image and likeness almost everywhere. From nutri-drinks like MILO and energy drinks like Gatorade to sports apparel like Nike, Alyssa has undoubtedly made her mark as an athlete. But she’s one of the few who have actually transcended, as she can also be seen endorsing beauty brands like Belo, lifestyle brands like Allianz, and many others as well.

The Early Days

Directly or indirectly, it goes without saying that Alyssa has inspired many current collegiate and even professional players to take the route of playing competitive volleyball—or even just by picking up the sport as a hobby.

That said, it only felt natural to ask her who she looked up to back in her days as a youngster when she was still learning the game.

“I had no background in volleyball when I started (taking it up). When I was a kid, I just played volleyball because I liked it, but wala ako masyadong ina-idolize kasi hindi naman ako nakakapanood and wala akong access.”

She goes on to share that her go-to person was her mom, who was a teacher, for guidance. Though she later revealed that her mom was not into volleyball, what Alyssa picked up were the all-important virtues of discipline and grit, which she has carried with her throughout her career.

“It was my brothers, actually, who played volleyball when we were younger.”

“That’s where you got the game from?” I ask somewhat unsurely.

Just when I thought the conversation had taken a turn to a familiar place—wherein all-time great athletes are molded as a result of the older sibling beating up the younger, which ultimately develops an inextinguishable competitive fire in the latter—I was brought to sudden, audible laughter.

“Well yes, because my brother hit me in the face. And after that, it was my only motivation and inspiration—that’s why I’m playing volleyball now.”

“Napakaliit no?” (It’s so trivial, right?) she playfully continues, drawing more laughter from me and the small crowd around us.

Favorite Career Moments 

Having been in the spotlight for quite some time now, there are a lot. And while it was really tempting for us to come up with our own list, we instead asked her on the spot to come up with her own.

#1 First spike playing for UST
“I can vividly remember what happened during that time.” It seemed she had been transported to her early days as she gave this answer. We couldn’t help but notice the slight change in her voice and her wandering eyes as she was telling this story. “Yun yung parang first legit na I said to myself, ‘Wow, nakapalo ako, nakakapag-volleyball na ako.’” (Wow, I was able to hit the ball—I’m really playing volleyball now.)

#2 Season 76, her first championship with Ateneo
“Cinderella run. We really didn’t expect anything at all, and it was the best feeling. It was the first time I experienced tears of joy. Legit pala talaga ,” (Turns out it’s actually legit,) she says, with the widest and most charming smile across her face.

#3 2018 Asian Games
Playing against Olympians and being in the same village as them was one of the greatest opportunities and experiences for her as an athlete.

#4 Creamline Grand Slam
“One of the things I would never forget as a pro—even though I wasn’t part of that line-up during that grand slam—it was very memorable to me because I saw everyone step up. I think that was me being an Ate Ly in that moment.”

Cheering from the bench and egging her teammates on was definitely beautiful to watch. We understand why she chose this one.

Winning Rookie of the Year? Countless awards and MVPs in college and in the pros? Being a flag bearer for the SEA Games? Many other moments that would’ve been the highlight of other players’ careers seem to have fallen through the cracks during that particular moment. I guess that’s just what happens when you have a career as storied as hers.

Celebrating Big and Small Wins

Whether big or small, Alyssa’s idea of celebrating her wins is to make time just for herself.
“I spend time at home or with my close friends. Mostly quiet time,” she says.

“I make time for myself to take it all in. And during those quiet times, minsan nakakapag-isip ka pa rin ng mga things na dapat mo i-improve or ano pa yung mga things na kailangan mong maayos sa sarili mo din,” she continues.

It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Particularly for someone like her who is, shall we say, in the semi-public eye, those private moments with your thoughts and those closest to you become very valuable.

“It’s always nice to definitely celebrate (achievements), but minsan very special to us yung quiet time and alone time,” she concludes.

Handling Fame and Being a Darling of the Public

No exaggeration, she probably heard her name being called out more than a thousand times during our shoot. A thousand times. That’s exhausting.  And that’s just one day.  I imagine she’s used to it by now as she’s been endearing fans since she first burst into the scene back in the mid-2000s.  We got firsthand proof of that as she encouraged people to quickly take selfies with her in between switching from one shoot location to another.

No wonder she’s a darling. 

How do you handle the responsibility of being the country’s most popular volleyball player? I asked her. Her first reaction was to humbly gush at the question. But I told her that I only asked because it’s true, so she composed herself and eloquently said this:

“I guess if you’re true to yourself and your purpose also, then hindi ko gaanong nafi-feel yung responsibility (then I don’t really feel the weight of the responsibility). I think I’m just doing what I love, and I’m trying to share my knowledge with the youth as early as now. And if it’s something you wholeheartedly do or want, then it doesn’t feel heavy.”

“Making sure I know my purpose. Making sure I’m surrounded by good people and a support system. And I have to make sure that I still enjoy the sport and the things beyond the sport as well,” she continued.

Before we knew it, it was dark, and the moon was joined by EK’s trademark fireworks. Our afternoon with Alyssa had come to a close. It was so much fun—and boy, was it one for the books!

We part ways with one another feeling a little bit closer, a little bit smarter after trading war stories. But for us, as the ALL-STAR team, we were obviously fans of her before. Let’s just say we’re endeared by her now. Because, truly, you can’t help it. Take our word for it.

Alyssa is Enchanting.

IN THIS STORY:

Creative Direction by James Leonard Cruz • Text and Interview by James Leonard Cruz • Produced by JM Fariñas • Art Direction by Karlota Tuazon • Photos by Noel Monzon • Video by Team A – Kyle Dorado and Maxvin Tayag • Hair and Makeup by Team Muriel Vega Perez • Stylying by Natazha Perez • Shot on Location at Enchanted Kingdom • Brought to you by: Belo • Special thanks to: VMG Asia, Enchanted Kingdom, Bleum Beach for Alyssa’s jewelries, Versa for her tops, and Le Scarpe Manila for her shoes.