Alyssa thrilled to reunite with Bea at Creamline
ALYSSA Valdez and Bea de Leon are set for a volleyball reunion following the latter’s transfer from Choco Mucho to Creamline in the offseason.
Valdez could not be more excited to join forces anew with de Leon, whom she’d been teammates with at Ateneo during her last two years in the UAAP in 2015 and 2016, not to mention the national team.
“I was very excited when they announced that Bea would be part of the Creamline Cool Smashers.
Why? Because I think there are a lot of memories and firsts din that we had during our Ateneo days. It’s just so nice to do that again in a professional team in Creamline Cool Smashers,” said Valdez.
De Leon’s bundle of energy was what Valdez missed the most about the 5-foot-11 middle blocker.
“One thing I miss about Bea is her energy as well. I think we all know that Creamline has been very ‘happy happy’ and I think it’s a good balance also seeing how Bea would react and celebrate every point, and we’ll support her also in that way,” she said.
Valdez added that de Leon will be a good addition to the team as the Cool Smashers aim to dominate anew the 2024 season of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
“Bea will be a great help in our team as well and we’re just really looking forward to seeing her shine and get her mojo back in the team and also Denden Lazaro-Revilla,” said the three-time PVL MVP.
Despite winning four of the last six conferences including the 2nd All-Filipino Conference last December, Valdez and the Cool Smashers are still hungry for more.
“We savored every moment when we had that championship moment — in Araneta, especially,” said Valdez.
“But looking at our coaches, they never felt that we won that championship honestly because in practice right now, we’ve been really working hard. We’ve been really looking for new strategies and looking for all the things that we have to correct coming in this new season.”
As Creamline looks to sustain its dominance in the league, Valdez recognizes the long road to get there, especially with most of the teams beefing up their lineup for this year’s battles.
“I guess it’s always harder to defend the crown. It’s always hard to be consistent but with all these girls being very, very competitive, I’m not even kidding, I guess hopefully we reach our goals also this year.”
On Thursday, Allianz PNB Life Insurance Inc. (Allianz) has renewed its contract with the Creamline Cool Smashers and welcomed the Choco Mucho Flying Titans to its athlete ambassador family.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Choco Mucho Flying Titans to the Allianz athlete family. Allianz supports about 150 athletes globally as they embody and share the values and attributes of our employees and Life Changers: discipline, passion, and excellence. Sports has been a medium to bring people together and celebrate unity and the human spirit,” said Joe Gross, Allianz PNB Life president and CEO.
The partnership is not just about providing monetary sponsorship but also about ensuring the financial security of the athletes and coaches through personal accident insurance plans.