ALYSSA Valdez longs for the day she’ll get to play with Jia de Guzman again — may it be as a teammate or a competitor.
The Creamline captain herself isn’t sure if a PVL reunion is on the cards in the foreseeable future just yet.
16 months since de Guzman last wore a Creamline shirt, the only thing certain is how Valdez misses her longtime teammate of over a decade from Ateneo to the pros, whom she shared seven championships with.
READ: Jia de Guzman gets her shining moment as PH volleyball's finest
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jia, not just on the court but also off the court as well. We really can’t wait to see her talaga,” said Valdez.
“I'm not just sure what upcoming tournaments and commitments she has with her teams and the national (team), so we don't actually know what could happen but we just really miss Jia.”
De Guzman's in her second season with the Denso Airybees in the Japan SV.League where she already has a Japan V.Cup pocket tournament trophy under her belt.
This, along with her victorious Alas Pilipinas captaincy, earned her the 2024 Miss Volleyball nod from the Philippine Sportswriters Association — an award Valdez won thrice from 2014 to 2016.
With de Guzman breaking new ground overseas as the first Filipina setter-import, Valdez made it clear that she and the rest of the Cool Smashers are at peace in giving her the space she needs to grow even more as one of Philippine volleyball’s finest aces.
"I honestly respect the space we give each other and Jia to grow also as an athlete, as an individual, and definitely, Jia knows that we're all here supporting her and cheering for her," Valdez said, while jokingly saying that she'll convince the star setter back on the court.