FOR sure, volleyball superstar Alyssa Valdez has in her bucket list winning a championship at the fabled Smart Araneta Coliseum.

On April 30, 2016, in front of a UAAP women’s volleyball record crowd of 22,848 fans at the Big Dome, Valdez tried to win one in her final season for Ateneo, but she left the Cubao venue in tears after losing to La Salle in the deciding Game 3 of the Finals at the height of the two schools’ rivalry in the sport.

Seven years later, Valdez had one Saturday night to remember.

When the chips were down and the Game 2 of the Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference championship was on the line, the Cool Smashers turned to Valdez in the fifth set.

Valdez put up a show in front of 24,459 fans, a new gate attendance record not only in the PVL but in Philippine volleyball history in general, as Creamline outlasted Finals debutants Choco Mucho, 22-25, 25-20, 29-27, 24-26, 15-12, to annex a record seventh title.

This time around, Valdez emerged triumphant at the Big Dome, erasing the painful defeat seven years ago to cap her checkered UAAP career.

“Ibang iba yung experience ko nung 2016 kasi medyo college, bata bata pa tayo nung mga panahong yun, and it was a heartbreaking loss, definitely, isa sa mga hindi ko makakalimutan din,” said Valdez.

“Pinalitan din ng isa pang sweet na memory, one of the sweetest memories that I have right now is this win at Araneta Coliseum. So maraming maraming salamat nakabalik po at mas madami pang nanood, ‘di ba?,” she added.

Aside from the Cool Smashers, Valdez knows that the biggest winner of this historic finale of the 2023 PVL season is Philippine volleyball.

Among those who watched the record-breaking night were young tennis sensation Alex Eala, and celebrities Vice Ganda, Willie Revillame and Cristine Reyes.

“Di natin ineexpect na mas lalaki, mas dadami yung susuporta sa Philippine volleyball and with that, we say, Merry Christmas to everyone and sana mas marami pa tayong historic moments na magawa,” said Valdez.

“Sana sa pagpatuloy na paglaki ng crowd ng support, ganon din yung pag grow ng sport of volleyball dito sa Philippines so maraming salamat,” she added.

Valdez entered the court prepared for the fifth set and delivered several clutch attacks, despite spending the majority of the match on the sidelines.

With the Flying Titans threatening to push the series to a sudden death, Valdez, as she has done time and time again, came up big for the Cool Smashers in the decider.

Valdez scored five of her eight points in the fifth set, including the championship-sealing cross-court attack that helped cement Creamline’s status as the most successful club in the league.

“Anong pumapasok sa isip ko? Simula palang, umaga palang, today, ang sinasabi talaga namin one point at a time and I guess, ang nasa isip ko lang noon pag pinasok ako ni Coach, gagawin ko lang din yung trabaho ko para makatulong sa team,” said Valdez.

“So ang iniisip ko nalang talaga non, bahala na. Basta ibibigay ko yung lahat para sa team. Maraming salamat din kay coach (Sherwin Meneses), definitely, sa trust na binigay niya kasi di ako naglaro ng ilang sets, but binigay niya sakin yung opportunity na yun. Thank you, coach,” the San Juan, Batangas native added.

No wonder, Valdez thrives during crunch time.

“It’s so nice to play kasi in that moment also, in this big stadium — with this crowd, intense game,” said Valdez.