𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐘 𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐎𝐒 𝐒𝐊 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒, 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐒

True to her reputation as a phenomenal athlete, volleyball superstar Alyssa Valdez once again demonstrated her gratitude to the community by sharing her time, skills, and efforts with aspiring volleyball players, to express her appreciation for the sport that brought her so much success. The three-day Alyssa Valdez Youth Volleyball Camp (AVYVC) was open to young volleyball players ages 9 to 12. Valdez launched this camp, knowing that this type of activity would considerably help uncover and refine the skills and talents of aspiring athletes who want to be like her in the future. Herself a product of volleyball camps, Valdez recalls that she and her fellow aspiring athletes back in the day had little exposure to volleyball and volleyball camps. “You don’t know where to go, and you don’t have enough experience to become a good volleyball player,” the Filipina sports star explains.

She credits her coaches, who gave her one-on-one instruction, for her outstanding performances in her games, which grabbed the hearts of many Filipino volleyball fans. The Pasig City government and Allianz PNB sponsored the activity, which took place at the Rizal High School Gymnasium, Pasig City, from March 24 to 26, 2023. It was Valdez’s way of thanking the coaches who taught her the abilities that wowed many Filipinos in their games. Along with other experienced coaches, Valdez taught over 80 young aspiring
volleyball players.

“I will show them how to start from scratch because I want them to learn that there are those who believe in what they can do,” Valdez promises. This is not the first time the Creamline Cool Smashers team
captain has demonstrated her compassion. She once raised funds for healthcare workers in the Philippines by raffling off her sneakers. In 2019, she and now Japanese B.League player Kiefer Ravena founded the Phenom Elite Training Academy, a training facility for promising young athletes. Their vision was to help prepare athletes for national and international competitions.

Regarded as the face of Philippine volleyball, Valdez started carving a name for herself as a member of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigress Cubs volleyball team. She later led the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Lady Eagles to a number of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) titles, in the process earning a string of individual awards. Valdez’s stellar skills made her a certified star at the professional level. She has also represented the Philippines in international competitions, including the 2008 Asian Youth Championship, 2015 Asian U-23 Championship, and this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.