CANDON CITY — After months of waiting and working her way back from injury, Tots Carlos made a triumphant return to the court with the Creamline Cool Smashers on Saturday night. The 26-year-old opposite spiker had been sidelined for four months, missing much of the previous season's historic Grand Slam run after a knee injury during the season-opening All-Filipino Conference finale. She also sat out the Reinforced and Invitational tournaments that followed.
Carlos expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her Creamline family for the patience and unwavering support they showed her during her recovery process.
“Honestly, ako, ‘di naman ako nag-expect ng kahit ano. Ako naman, priority ko lang naman palagi is to really enjoy the game. Grateful ako kina coach kasi binigyan ako ng chance makapaglaro today,” she said.
Her return was eagerly awaited, and it came in dramatic fashion.
Checking in midway through the opening set of Creamline's sweep victory against Akari in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, Carlos wasted no time making an impact.
The Cool Smashers were trailing by as many as seven points before the Chargers fought their way back to tie the set at 24-all. With the score knotted, a costly attack error from Akari's Fifi Sharma set the stage for Carlos, who delivered a clutch spike to secure the 1-0 set advantage for Creamline.
“Of course, I wanted to be back as soon as I can. Nakakatuwa kasi sina coach, ‘di naman kami minamadali. But also, yung pressure, sarili na lang namin—pine-pressure namin,” Carlos shared.
Throughout her recovery, Carlos made sure to follow the advice of her coaches, who emphasized patience and health above all else.
She appreciated their support during a trying time.
“Grateful din ako sa mga coaches kasi inalalayan at inaalagaan nila kaming may mga injuries. ‘Di rin nila kami pine-pressure, so masaya kami na meron kaming ganung klaseng sistema kasi mas namo-motivate kami na makabalik at hindi namadali yung mga injuries namin,” she added.
Carlos also acknowledged the importance of pacing herself as the team prepares for the long season ahead.
“Siyempre, sa team, mahaba yung season, so kailangan naming mag-ikot ng mga tao para hindi mauubos yung mga tao. Ginagawa namin yung best namin para makabalik agad,” she said.
