By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Creamline Cool Smashers kicked off their Premier Volleyball League (PVL) championship title defense with a lopsided victory over the Petro Gazz Angels, 25-19, 25-22, 25-16, in the ongoing All-Filipino Conference on November 16, 2024, at the Ynares Center.
Creamline banked on their signature collective effort to repel the Angels who are coming off an impressive win over the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in their All-Filipino Conference opener.
Despite Petro Gazz gaining more momentum with an advanced game, the Cool Smashers picked up where they left off and displayed another volleyball masterclass to enter the PVL winning column immediately.
Creamline didn’t need warm-ups to dissect Petro Gazz’s game plan and quickly went to Jema Galanza who provided the early spark for the Cool Smashers.
Bernadeth Pons, the reigning Reinforced Conference Most Valuable Player (MVP), finished what Galanza started and capped off the first set win with a series of off-spin hits that caught the Petro Gazz defense off guard.
Creamline replicated its flawless execution at the start of the second, exposing Petro Gazz’s backline defense gaps by scoring a bunch of drop balls shared by Galanza and Pons.
However, the Angels threatened to steal the momentum in the third when they jumped to a commanding 11-3 lead.
Just when Petro Gazz thought they could sustain their firepower, the Cool Smashers weathered the storm and completed the third-set comeback with a demoralizing 14-3 counter run.
After retaking the lead off that avalanche, the Angels went flat, allowing the Cool Smashers to take over in the most crucial stretch and wrap up the game with a convincing 3-0 win.
Galanza top-scored for the Cool Smashers after tallying 13 points built from 10 successful attacks alongside nine excellent digs, two service aces, and a block.
Backstopping Galanza was Pons who finished the matchup with an all-around efficient performance of 10 markers, 13 excellent digs, and 13 excellent receptions.
Creamline also welcomed their leader Alyssa Valdez, who finally received full medical clearance to return to the playing court.
After managing the injuries that kept her out in the second half of the last conference, Valdez played her first game in several months, contributing four points and three excellent digs.
“Syempre sobrang saya kasi ‘yung nangyari is talagang total teamwork ‘yung nangyari. Lahat nag-perform nang maganda, nang maayos. So ‘yun ‘yung naging result, nagkaroon kami ng una naming panalo,” said Creamline mentor Sherwin Meneses after the huge win.
