Alyssa Valdez hails Passi crowd as Creamline’s ‘seventh man’ amid warm Iloilo welcome

Alas Pilipinas and Creamline Cool Smashers icon Alyssa Valdez is widely considered the greatest volleyball player to come from the Philippines, having achieved legendary status—as evidenced by her immense popularity across various social media platforms.

Valdez is one of the primary reasons volleyball in the Philippines has reached the lofty standards it enjoys today. Similarly, the Cool Smashers are not only the most successful club in Premier Volleyball League (PVL) history, as shown by their numerous titles, but also the most popular team in the league.

It comes as no surprise that Creamline and Valdez enjoy massive support wherever they go in the Philippines—and it was no different during the Cool Smashers’ PVL On Tour leg in Passi, Iloilo.

Valdez was overwhelmed by the support her team received in Passi, calling the fans Creamline’s “seventh man” on the court.

“It’s my first time here in Passi. It’s great that we have our seventh man here also in Iloilo. It’s just so nice that we might have lost the last game, pero buong-buo pa rin yung suporta nila in our second game, so nakakatuwa pa din,” Valdez said to the media present at the City of Passi Arena.

PHENOMenal Night in Passi! 🤩💖

Our Phenom, Alyssa Valdez, is our Player of the Game for tonight’s win! Maraming salamat sa mga sumuporta at nanood sa Creamline Cool Smashers sa Iloilo! 💖#RiseUpWithGoodVibes #CreamlineCoolSmashers #CreamlineCreamyIceCream pic.twitter.com/fTz7zsIpga

— Creamline Cool Smashers (@CoolSmashers) July 20, 2025

It’s worth noting that the current PVL On Tour has been a jolt for Creamline, as they lost back-to-back games in the preliminary round of a PVL tournament for the first time in eight years. This came as a major surprise to both fans and volleyball pundits. Creamline suffered consecutive defeats after being swept by the Cignal HD Spikers and then outlasted in five sets by the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles in Passi City.

However, Creamline ended the two-game skid by defeating the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-21, 19-25, 25-16, 25-18, at the City of Passi Arena on Sunday, July 20. The 32-year-old Valdez played a key role in the comeback win, finishing with 19 points—built on 16 attacks and three blocks—while also contributing defensively with 11 digs and 15 receptions.

“With the help of my teammates, my coaches—talaga—hopefully we can be more consistent and better prepared for the upcoming, more crucial games. Honestly, I think one thing we realized is we just have to play and enjoy the game—and respect the game. There were a lot of lapses, but they were specific ones from our first game, so it was easier to adjust in today’s game,” she added.

Despite the unexpected losses, Creamline remains in second place in the Pool B standings with a 3-2 win-loss record and has all but secured qualification for the knockout rounds of the preseason tournament.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.