WHILE others have pregame rituals, anybody who's seen her play knows Alyssa Valdez has this practice of whispering a prayer to the ball before every serve.
In crucial moments, more so during a thriller, the longtime face of Philippine volleyball is often caught on camera making the sign of the cross numerous times.
When sidelined, Alyssa often watches her teammates with her hands clasped in a praying position.
'I do everything for Him'
And behind all the 'All for God' expressions, volleyball's 'Phenom' shared that her relationship with her faith goes beyond the court.
"I do everything for Him, I don't think I'm going to be here if not for Him," Valdez, arguably one of the most religious Filipino athletes, told SPIN.ph.
Hence, this character resonates even among her teammates.
After Creamline made easy work of Capital1, 25-18, 25-14, 25-15, in their PVL All-Filipino Conference match last Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Valdez joined the media in a post-game interview.
Moments later, a Cool Smashers staff had to hurriedly escort her back to the dugout as the team was waiting for her return so they could pray together.
"It's a tradition, we have to be together during prayer, we have to be complete, that's our bond, it's a happy moment for the team when we're praying," she explained.
"All our sacrifices, we learned from Him na sa lahat ng 'yon, we know may reward or may mangyayari sa dulo. This is the reason why we're like this as a team, we're reminded to be humbled by Him."
Since Valdez spent her student life attending Catholic schools, (UST High School and Ateneo) she grew personal traditions to strengthen her faith.
This Holy Week, she bared she'd make plans to work around her rituals once Creamline finalizes its schedule.
"There are times talaga na may pinupuntahan akong churches for particular events, but with my job, hindi gaano maraming free time, that's why I'm glad to be sharing this faith with my teammates," she said.
Clinging to her faith
The 30-year-old star also shared that they cling to their faith whenever they get disheartened.
"Sometimes, you'd question din talaga why would He give these losses, these challenges, but when you come to think of it. you'd realize these things make you who you are, and make you a stronger individual," she continued.
And much like her gestures during a match, Valdez said her ordinary days are full of those too, and she's not embarrassed to let everyone know.
"My relationship with God is like my relationship with volleyball, but greater. I can't live without it, I can't live without Him. I can't sleep nor start my day without mentioning or thinking about Him," she said.
She added: "For me, lagi ko siyang kasama, always in my heart, nasa tabi ko lang siya, and like volleyball, he's part of me."
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