CREAMLINE captain Alyssa Valdez knew that it was only a matter of time for a different set of title protagonists to headline the PVL Finals sans her dynastic squad.
It was overdue, to an extent, and it finally happened for only the second time in seven years in the 2025 PVL on Tour.
Missing the preseason finals wasn’t a matter of mere misfortunes for the Cool Smashers. Valdez sees their rare bronze-medal finish as a reflection of the changing times in the league — one for the better, even at their own expense.
READ: Alyssa, Creamline take pride in consistency after 18th straight podium
“The level of competition in the PVL has been very, very high,” Valdez told SPIN.ph.
“With PLDT, they're really growing. Talagang yung PLDT ngayon, kumbaga hinog na rin sa lahat ng mga pinagdaanan nila. Lahat ng mga semi-finals na hindi sila umaabot, hinog na hinog na rin.
“Chery Tiggo has been there since day one kaya it's just so nice din na makita yung mga teams na nag-grow up.”
But by no means is Valdez ready to relinquish the throne Creamline has long reigned on since the club’s inception in 2017.
As the league’s longstanding yardstick of success, now’s not the time to back down from a new wave of challenges the rest of the field aims to fire their way.
“For Creamline naman, we're gonna take that as a challenge. It's not that we’re struggling, it's really just seeing that we can still improve and find other ways to make our program and our team be better,” Valdez said.
“It’s gonna be more entertaining games for the fans, for us, so mas magfo-focus kami and we're just really looking forward for more exciting volleyball games.
“May vision tayo to keep working harder and smarter this time.”
Bar still Creamline's to set
Even if the best might fall down sometimes, Valdez and Creamline have proven over and over again that, they also know how to rise back up and still reinvent the greatness they’ve long lived in the sport.
“I think everyone really played well even if definitely, some circumstances, siyempre hindi natin naco-control, most especially na it's on tour,” Valdez said.
“But we're just gonna help each other, most especially the rookies, guide them. Yung mga nagpapalakas pa, we're gonna really wait for them.
“Who knows kung anong mangyayari in the future for Creamline? But definitely, the team has been really working hard and really putting everything para magbigay pa rin yung best game namin every single game.”
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