THE rumors linking Alyssa Valdez to Alas Pilipinas Women are not entirely baseless, but they do come with a catch.
Yes, Valdez was among those tapped by Alas Women as the national team continued scrambling for reinforcements following a wave of withdrawals and invite turndowns from its initial 27-player pool ahead of the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup in Candon City.
However, her situation remains far from finalized.
In last week’s Philippine National Volleyball Federation meeting with Alas Women prospects, which SPIN.ph attended, Valdez was among those present inside the room while the other media outlets that had prematurely reported the development in recent days were not in attendance.
Still, the longtime Creamline star opted to keep a low profile.
She politely declined media interviews and requested for discretion at the time, stressing that nothing had been finalized regarding her status with the national team and that of the rest of the attendees still weighing their options.
But during the meeting itself, Valdez offered a short response that may have said enough.
“I want to help,” she said.
That alone naturally fueled speculation over a possible national team return for the veteran star.
PNVF president Tony Boy Liao later acknowledged that Valdez is more likely than not to suit up for Alas Women in the AVC Women’s Cup set from June 6 to 14 in Candon City.
Still, the final decision ultimately remains in Valdez’ hands.
SPIN.ph also learned that Alas Women held its first practice on Monday.
As of posting, however, SPIN.ph has yet to receive confirmation from Liao regarding the identities of players who attended the session, including whether Valdez herself was among those present.
For now, the answer appears simple: the Alyssa-to-Alas rumors are real, just not official.
UAAP star's scholarship pulled out
WAS mismanagement the reason for the recent player exodus in one UAAP school?
Spin.ph sources found out that one player got the surprise of his life when his scholarship got pulled without warning after the season.
Stunned, the said player was asked to pay for his tuition fee, forcing him to explore his options elsewhere.
Fortunately for the player, he found a school willing to absorb him which paved the way for his transfer -- one that he begrudgingly had to do.
Insiders said that it's just one of the instances where management left players with no other choice but to leave the team for one reason or another.
With that kind of management style, it's no surprise that this team has been on a downward spiral -- and there looks no light at the end of the tunnel sometime soon. - RL
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