Emotional Alyssa Valdez stands by decision to suit up for Alas Women

But in the end, the 32-year-old Valdez, no longer at the peak of her powers, found herself returning to the very reasons that have long defined her journey — her deep love for the game and her unwavering pride in representing the country.

“And I think one thing that actually came out was kung ano ‘yung love ko nung bata ako para sa volleyball, hanggang ngayon,” said Valdez, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back tears.

“Hanggang ngayon, ‘yun pa rin ‘yung love ko sa pagre-represent sa bansa,” she added, as Jovelyn Gonzaga stepped in to comfort her emotional captain, gently holding her left hand as Valdez struggled to find the words.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation had initially planned for the core group of Alas Pilipinas players from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games — the same squad that delivered breakthrough bronze and silver finishes in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup — to represent the country in the tournament.

However, that plan eventually unraveled after several members of the core group declined the national team call-up, leaving the federation to piece together a replacement roster for the competition led by Valdez, Gonzaga, and Ces Molina.

As a result, only a few familiar faces remained in the fold, with Thea Gagate joining immediately, while Alyssa Solomon — who initially declined the call-up — eventually rejoined just six days before the tournament to complete the hastily assembled squad.

The lack of cohesion quickly became evident as Alas Pilipinas struggled to find its rhythm throughout the pool stage, eventually bowing out of semifinal contention after a 2–3 record in Pool A.

As the losses piled up, Valdez also found herself absorbing much of the criticism from fans, with the veteran captain taking a significant share of the blame amid the team’s struggles throughout the tournament.

Alas Pilipinas had one last chance to salvage a winning finish against Iran in the qualification phase, but fell short after a 21–25, 12–25, 21–25 defeat that sealed its eighth-place finish on Sunday at the Candon City Arena here.

Even though it did not end the way she wanted, Valdez still chose to look beyond the result, framing the experience as a difficult but meaningful lesson for her younger teammates as they continue to grow on the international stage.

“So ‘yun, ang sarap lang. Pero di naging maganda para sa amin ‘yung… I mean hindi naging maganda ‘yung resulta, pero sana sa mga bata sana wish namin talaga magtuloy-tuloy ‘yung fire nila sa pagre-represent sa country.”