V-League: Import-less Customs turns to Valdez

FILE PHOTO – Alyssa Valdez during one of her volleyball camps. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Technical issues may have barred Bureau of Customs from fielding its Thai imports but it still had Alyssa Valdez to lean on as the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player towed her squad to a three-set romp of University of the Philippines, 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 on Monday.

“Nagulat din kami na wala yung imports namin, but volleyball is a game naman na kailangan mo mag-adjust in every circumstances, and yun ang kailangan naming gawin kanina. We’re really happy na nagawa naman namin,” she said.

Valdez looked like she didn’t miss a beat, captaining the ship for the Transformers with 18 points, 14 of which coming from kills.

Her scoring may be a given, but the former Lady Eagle admitted that she’s still adjusting to her new teammates with the squad only training for the last three weeks.

“Kahit yung ibang teams na matagal na magkakasama, meron pa ring miscommunications. Paano pa kami?,” she said. “It’s definitely a new environment for me, but we play the same sport. At the end of the day, pare-parehas kami ng pina-panindigan at tine-training. Yun lang naman ang pinaghuhugutan namin lahat so we try to stick together and play together.”

Valdez, though, is optimistic that things could only go up from here, especially with imports Kanjana Kuthaisong and Natthanicha Jaisaen still yet to suit up in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference.

“Start pa lang ng season. Eventually, magkakaroon ng improvement lahat ng teams. Nakita nila kami na walang imports, but syempre, hirap kami. Di rin natin masabi kung kailan makaka-contribute sa team yung imports,” she said. “Syempre, kasama rin dyan yung language barrier with the Thais playing. It’s a new world talaga. You have to communicate well.”

“As their teammates, gusto lang din namin mapakita sa kanila na ganito yung volleyball dito. Manalo, matalo, we’re still one team.”