A shot of spectators at PVL’s first game at the Mall of Asia Arena. PVL photo
MANILA, Philippines – Alyssa Valdez was honored at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday for leading the Crimline to its sixth Premier Volleyball League final in front of 16,687 fans, the largest crowd in the Philippine sport during the epidemic.
The three-time PVL MVP was happy to play when their semifinal showdown against Choco Mucho attracted the largest number of spectators for a sporting event, surpassing the Ginebra-NLEX semifinal series Game 3 held at MOA Arena with 13,272 fans in attendance.
“I am just happy to be playing. It’s so beautiful that it’s probably the biggest comeback to the sport. We are all here at MOA Arena. I’m really grateful for their idol or for the team they support, “said Valdez after the Crimline’s 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-15 victory over Choco Mucho in Game 2.
“We’re glad to welcome everyone.”
Crimline Cool Smashers in the semifinals. PVL photo
This made Valdez’s MOA homecoming even more special as he returned four years after leading the Cool Smashers in the 2018 Reinforced Conference title race.
He finished with 17 points, including the final-clinching attack that captivated the crowd, which looked like a sea of pink and purple.
After running out of tickets for the last three games, including the semifinal game 1 last Friday, the league decided to move to the MOA Arena after several fans did not enter the San Juan Arena.
The Crimeline will face Signal or Petro Gaz in a best-of-three final series starting Wednesday at the MOA Arena, before taking its games to the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo for League Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3.
“I hope our volleyball family grows bigger as the game continues to recover from this epidemic,” Valdez said.
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