By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Creamline Cool Smashers are currently on a roll and handed the PLDT High-Speed Hitters its first loss of the 2022 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference, sweeping them in just three sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21.
Fresh off a dominant four-set win against rival squad Petro Gazz Angels several days ago, the Cool Smashers topped it off with a masterful performance against the High-Speed Hitters.
Multi-champion and former league Most Valuable Player (MVP) Alyssa Valdez led the Creamline offensive rally, having a vintage performance of 13 points and 11 digs during the win.
Valdez made it known that she is still one of the best spikers in the country and bounced back from a sub-par performance against Petro Gazz where she only contributed nine points.
It was a Valdez show from the get-go after the Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles legend fired from all cylinders and paid off every set dished out by Jia Morado-De Guzman.
De Guzman once again ran the Cool Smashers’ offense to perfection, feeding the waxing hot Valdez and finished the duel with 12 excellent sets.
PLDT showed signs of life during the third set after taking the momentum-clinching 13-17 lead but the Cool Smashers responded with a much-needed 5-1 offensive run.
The duo of Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza came up big during the crucial stretch and scored several clutch points to help Creamline reach set point at 24-20.
However, Galanza committed a service error and rewarded a point to the High-Speed Hitters, 24-21, but Carlos sealed the deal with a thundering kill to cap off Creamline’s win.
With the win, the Cool Smashers are still undefeated with a 2-0 record while the High-Speed Hitters dropped to 1-1.
