Small but spectacular
Her teammates weren’t surprised when Kyla Atienza took Best Libero honors at the recent ASEAN Grand Prix in Thailand. But Atienza, 25, was. She never expected it. The award, however, was well-deserved for the 5-6 dynamo who has won five championships in seven PVL conferences since joining Creamline in 2018.
Atienza, who was named Best Libero in the 2019 PVL Open conference, and her teammates were given certificates of participation so when PNVF national team chairman Tonyboy Liao motioned to go back on stage, she was confused. “Mayroon na akong certificate pero bakit ako pinapupunta uli ni Sir Tony,” she said. Then it hit her and she couldn’t be happier.
“This is for Ate Ly (Alyssa Valdez) and teammates ko,” said Atienza. “Ito ang first international competition ko abroad and I’m so grateful na ang aking first club team kasama ko sa unang experience. Lagi akong nanonood ng games of other liberos like Dawn Macandili at mga international players para makakuha ako ng tips on technique at galaw sa court.”
Valdez, who accompanied the Cool Smashers to Thailand but sat out the action due to doctors’ orders, said Atienza has matured to become one of the Philippines’ best liberos. “Kyla’s a good listener,” said Valdez on PlayItRightTV. “She’s quiet pero napakakulit deep inside. She’s driven to be better and inspires our team on and off the court. Marami siyang tinatago at passionate siya sa volleyball. We’re very happy and proud of her, ang attitude niya ‘di nagbago from the start.”
Valdez said when Thai coach Tai Bundit was still with Creamline, Atienza came on board from FEU. “Coach Tai was hard on Kyla during her first few months,” recalled Valdez. “Hindi kasi familiar si coach Tai sa kaniya. Kyla was the second libero sa FEU as Buding Duremdes was the first. Nagtaka nga si coach Tai sa umpisa kung si Kyla spiker or open hitter. Nasundan ko si Kyla from high school to college at first club team niya ang Creamline. From college, nagulat si Kyla na pinatakbo kaming lahat ni coach Tai na sobra ang focus sa conditioning.”
Valdez sat out the AVC Cup and ASEAN Grand Prix recovering from dengue. She’ll be back on the court for the PVL Reinforced conference starting Oct. 8. Valdez noted that while at the sidelines, she viewed volleyball from a different perspective and appreciated the game even more as a spectator. “When I was sick, pinanood ko sila and I felt better,” she said. “Super intense ako when I watch, I message my teammates when I have the energy and I think that’s why my recovery was fast. I’m super proud of our team, to see how they’ve matured and grown as players and individuals. I’m proud of the girls for surviving (the grueling grind from the PVL Invitationals to AVC Cup to ASEAN Grand Prix) and showcasing their talents despite tuluy-tuloy ang schedule, determined and committed to volleyball and serving our country. Our mindset is to give 100 percent every game, regardless of the result basta masaya kaming nag-lalaro kasi at the end of the day, volleyball is the sport we love and enjoy and it’s a blessing to play with teammates you love and care about.”