By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
For all the marbles, we will be having a winner-take-all Game 3.
Refusing to go home and let their five-peat bid slip away, the Creamline Cool Smashers showed poise under pressure after nipping the Petro Gazz Angels in five breathtaking sets, 25-15, 16-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-9, to equalize the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference finals series at 1-1.
On April 10, 2025 in a jam-packed SMART Araneta Coliseum, thousands of volleyball fans witnessed how Creamline battled adversity and redeemed themselves when it mattered the most.
Needing only one more set win to close out Game 2, the Cool Smashers found themselves in a dangerous position after Petro Gazz handed them a lopsided beating in the fourth set.
Despite the loud cheers and chants from the massive Creamline fan base, the Angels meant pure business and pummeled the Cool Smashers to build an early double-digit lead in the fourth.
Costly unforced errors prevented the defending champions from clawing their way back, allowing the laser-focused Petro Gazz squad to force a fifth set brimming with oozing confidence.
Just like what they say, this is what champions are made of. Coming off a disappointing fourth-set performance, the Cool Smashers collectively shook off their past miscues and kicked off the final frame with efficient attacks.
However, Petro Gazz was able to answer back in the early phase, courtesy of Brooke Van Sickle’s power that cruised past Creamline’s middle blockers.
It didn’t take long for the Cool Smashers to recover after the game was tied at 6-all. Off a timeout called by their head coach Sherwin Meneses, Creamline reverted to their strategy in the first set and it worked out, helping them gain a two-point advantage, 8-6.
Bernadeth Pons was instrumental in helping Creamline retake the driver’s seat after heating up, backstopped by Jema Galanza’s off-spin spike that protected the Cool Smashers’ lead for the rest of the game.
After Creamline built a four-point lead, 12-8, they never looked back, and revived their hopes of a fifth straight PVL All-Filipino Conference championship title.
Pons was Creamline’s top scorer after erupting for 22 points built from 18 successful attacks alongside 12 excellent receptions and nine excellent digs.
Galanza, who was silent during their Game 1 loss, chipped in 13 markers followed by Pangs Panaga’s 12 and Michele Gumabao’s 11 points.
“Dikitan ‘yung laban talaga so siguro yung mga audience nasayahan kasi dalawang game na ganon ang labanan. Sa amin naman, masaya kami na nakabawi kami pero hindi pa tapos ‘yung laban eh. Talagang patibayan ng puso, patapangan, yun ang labanan ngayon eh,” said Creamline’s chief tactician coach Meneses after the hard-fought win.
Both title-seeking franchises will meet again for the highly-anticipated Game 3 today, at 7 PM, to be played at the Philsports Arena.
Will the Cool Smashers extend their PVL AFC dominance? Or will Petro Gazz kick off the end of an era and dethrone the reigning queens?
