By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
And that is why, the Creamline Cool Smashers is the most dominant franchise in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
Already looking dead in the water after trailing 0-2 against the Cignal HD Spikers in the PVL Reinforced Conference knockout semifinal match, the Cool Smashers displayed nerves of steel to turn things around and complete the stunning come-from-behind win, 20-25, 22-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-13, on August 31, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Despite going down with a sizable margin, the Cool Smashers took it one play at a time and regrouped in the most crucial stretch in the third set to regain their footing in the semifinal duel.
Huge scoring efforts from the duo of import Erica Staunton and veteran outside hitter Bernadeth Pons sparked things for Creamline, erupting when the Cool Smashers needed their offense the most.
With the game now deadlocked at 2-all and Creamline successfully forcing a deciding fifth set, the HD Spikers went back to the drawing board, as head coach Shaq Delos Santos deployed some crucial instructions before the match resumed.
Those words of encouragement quickly lifted the HD Spikers up as their aggressiveness in attacking the ball steered them to an early three-point lead.
However, just when Cignal thought they already rediscovered their fire just like the first two sets, the Cool Smashers had other plans and frustrated the HD Spikers after countering back with a 3-0 scoring run.
Now that the game turned into a see-saw affair, both storied franchises traded blows, but Creamline found another gem in Michele Gumabao who performed big-time for the Cool Smashers.
Tied at 9-all, setter Kyle Negrito went to Gumabao from the right side of the court and the offensive force responded well after converting on a crafty off-spin spike to help Creamline take a 10-9 advantage.
Staunton then picked up where Gumabao left off after sending in a thunderous spike after an over- receive from the HD Spikers.
MJ Perez, Cignal’s superstar import, acted as a spark plug fresh off a timeout and provided the much-needed scoring load to keep themselves within striking distance.
Already smelling blood after they reached match point courtesy of a kill spike from Staunton, the Cool Smashers didn’t give Cignal any room to breathe as they wrapped up the comeback win with a Pons attack that resulted in an error for the opposition.
Staunton exploded in the most perfect time for the Cool Smashers and recorded her best scoring output of the import-laced conference with 38 big points derived from 36 successful attacks.
Backstopping Staunton’s sensational performance was Pons who led all locals, contributing 28 markers, 24 excellent receptions, and 17 excellent digs.
Gumabao, who shone in the deciding fifth set for the Cool Smashers, chipped in 10 points while setter Negrito dished out 25 excellent sets.
On the other hand, the HD Spikers received a 32-point outing from Perez but her heroics weren’t enough to shut down Creamline’s firepower.
The Cool Smashers will only have a day of rest and will immediately stage this year’s PVL Reinforced Conference finals matchup against the Akari Chargers today, at 6 PM.
in the other semifinal, the Akari Chargers continued their historic run by defeating the PLDT High Speed Hitters in another thrilling five-set match, 25-22, 18-25, 22-25, 26-24, 17-15.
Oly Okaro led Akari with 39 points, backed by Ivy Lacsina and Gretchel Soltones, who scored 19 and 16 points, respectively.
The win secured Akari’s first-ever finals appearance, putting them on the cusp of a Cinderella-like championship run.
“We’re going to keep preparing and training tomorrow. We’re ready, we’re hot, we’ve got the energy, so let’s see what happens,” said Okaro, expressing her excitement for the upcoming finals.
The PVL finals are set for Monday at the Araneta Coliseum, with Akari and Creamline battling for the gold at 6 p.m., while Cignal and PLDT vie for the bronze at 4 p.m.
