Learning from its previous win, Creamline remained focused throughout the match, executing three crucial runs to secure a dominant 25-17, 25-17, 25-21 over Chery Tiggo, propelling the defending Grand Slam champions back to the top of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference prelims at Philsports Arena on Thursday.
While the Cool Smashers pulled away midway through the first two sets, they showed resilience in the third, breaking a 19-all count with a decisive 6-2 run to clinch their eighth straight victory.
Creamline’s deep bench proved to be a key factor, as another standout performance anchored the team’s latest triumph following a grueling five-set win over Cignal last weekend.
The Cool Smashers are now just three wins away from sweeping the ranking phase of the record six-month-long conference organized by Sports Vision.
“It was a team effort. Everybody contributed to executing our plays,” said Bea de Leon, who delivered 13 points, including two blocks and three aces, to earn the Player of the Game honors.
However, she was quick to credit the team’s collective effort, emphasizing their coach’s focus on execution.
“Coach (Sherwin Meneses) stressed good execution, and everything else followed,” she added.
De Leon also highlighted how the team applied lessons from their previous match against Cignal, where they nearly squandered a 2-0 set lead before recovering in the decider.
“That match taught us a lesson. We lost focus in the third set, allowing them to come back. Against Chery Tiggo, we wanted to maintain that extra push and focus, and we did,” she said.
The Cool Smashers showcased their offensive depth in their one-hour, 22-minute rout. Jema Galanza sparked the team’s strong finishing kick with a tough down-the-line hit, followed by Pangs Panaga and Tots Carlos chipping in before Alyssa Valdez sealed the match with a powerful kill.
Chery Tiggo challenged the final point, citing a net fault, but video review confirmed Valdez’s hit was clean. Coach Norman Domingo later apologized to Meneses for delaying the celebration.
With the win, Creamline (8-0) overtook Petro Gazz (7-1) in the race for the top seed, while Chery Tiggo dropped to 5-5, placing eighth in the 12-team standings.
Galanza contributed nine points, while Panaga and Carlos added eight points each. Valdez scored seven points, while Bernadeth Pons, who erupted for 27 points against Cignal, had a quieter outing, finishing with five points after playing only in the opening set.
Ara Galang led Chery Tiggo with 14 points, but the Crossovers struggled to find additional firepower, as Cess Robles, Pauline Gaston and Julia Samonte each managed only five points, highlighting the team’s lack of offensive support.
The Cool Smashers took some time to find their rhythm in the opening set, even trailing by three points on multiple occasions, the last at 10-13 after a quick attack from Seth Rodriguez.
However, a 4-1 Creamline run, capped by a Galanza blast, tied it at 14. From there, the Cool Smashers unleashed a dominant 11-3 surge, fueled by the combined firepower of de Leon, Galanza and Pons, along with back-to-back aces from Kyle Negrito.
Carlos’ easy backrow hit gave Creamline an insurmountable 24-16 lead. Although Negrito’s service error momentarily halted their momentum, Alina Bicar’s faulty serve sealed the set, handing the defending champions a 1-0 advantage.
Facing an undermanned Chery Tiggo squad, Creamline unsurprisingly controlled the attack game, outscoring its opponent, 47-33, and recording six service aces to the Crossovers’ one.
The second set was a tightly contested battle, with both teams exchanging leads and fighting through multiple ties. However, Creamline once again unleashed a blistering run that turned the set into another commanding victory.
Trailing 14-15 after a flawed 1-2 play by Negrito, Creamline quickly responded with a quick attack from de Leon to level the score. The Cool Smashers then launched a decisive 10-2 surge, highlighted by back-to-back hits from Panaga and three aces from de Leon, propelling them to a 2-0 advantage.
Gaston briefly halted Creamline’s momentum with a slide attack at 17-24, but Galanza sealed the set with a powerful spike after the team’s initial attempt was thwarted.
