By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Creamline Cool Smashers moved closer to another semifinal qualification in the ongoing Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference playoffs after blanking the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-10, 27-25, 25-21, during their quarterfinal showdown on March 18, 2025, at the Philsports Arena.
Despite three weeks of inactivity after already securing a spot in the quarterfinals last February, the Cool Smashers showed that there will be no court rusts as they pummeled the Crossovers from start to finish.
Creamline wasted no time buckling to work after demolishing Chery Tiggo in the opening set with a massive double-digit lead courtesy of the early offensive rampage from Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez.
The ever-reliable veteran duo set the tone for Creamline after out-maneuvering Chery Tiggo with their clever approach to attacking the ball.
Already clogged with the middle presence of Aby Maraño and the rest of the Chery Tiggo middle blockers, Valdez and Carlos targeted the opposition’s backline and exposed the gaps in their floor defense.
Midway through the opening set, Be De Leon fortified Creamline’s defensive coverage and swatted away a huge spike from Shaya Adorador that electrified their fans in attendance.
Just when Creamline thought they could replicate their flawless second-set outing like their last meeting, the Crossovers changed gears to desperately put the Cool Smashers in an unfamiliar position.
By doing that, Chery Tiggo head coach Kung Fu Reyes deployed a quick rotating pool of players and engaged in a series of substitutions in the second set alone.
That move caught Creamline off guard as they were able to turn the contest into a see-saw battle, even taking a 23-20 lead and moved two points away from equalizing the match.
However, Creamline’s championship DNA and poise under pressure wouldn’t be denied as they completed the dramatic comeback from three points down, capping off the second set with a massive 7-2 scoring run.
Pangs Panaga gave the winning point off a block on Adorador that put the Cool Smashers in a commanding 2-0 lead. After Chery Tiggo missed their biggest chance in the game, Creamline never looked back and sealed the deal with another efficient third-set outing.
Valdez turned back the hands of time and flashed a vintage performance of 16 points built from 13 successful attacks alongside 13 excellent digs and nine excellent receptions.
Her co-star, Carlos, picked up where she left off and backstopped Valdez with 13 markers while De Leon and Panaga chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
