WHILE Creamline has no shortage of starpower whatsoever, one would wonder why it barely played team captain Alyssa Valdez in both games of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference finals so far.
Valdez, 31, was a starter in the series-opening loss and played sparingly in the first, second and fifth sets.
There, she produced six points.
Come Game Two, Valdez’ game time was further diminished in a brief fourth-set cameo where she scored her one and only point of the match.
READ: Creamline shows champ's heart as it forces KO match for PVL title
In a high-pressure fifth-set tiebreak, the ‘Phenom’ was reduced to a mere spectator who rallied the Cool Smashers on from the sidelines as they fought to keep their championship hopes alive.
Valdez has fully recovered from a series of knee injuries she dealt with over the past few years.
So, why not field the team’s most experienced and decorated player when the stakes were at their highest?
For Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses, it was a matter of not fixing what isn’t broken as the MVP duo of Bernadeth Pons (22 points, 12 receptions, nine digs) and Jema Galanza (13 points) held the fort on both ends for the defending champions all-match long.
“Hindi mo naman masasabi sa Creamline kung sino yung maglalaro eh. Talagang yung time, yung situation ngayon, para kay [Bernadeth] Pons at para kay Jema [Galanza]. Pero anytime naman, pwede ipasok si Ly [Valdez]. Maybe next game,” Meneses said.
“Let’s see kung sinong maglalaro para sa championship sa Game 3.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
