Cool Smashers Dominate Highrisers, Secure Top Seed

Games Saturday (Iloilo City)

4 p.m. – ZUS Coffee vs. PLDT

6:30 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs. Choco Mucho

Creamline’s superior firepower and championship experience proved too much for Galeries Tower as the Cool Smashers rolled to a 25-15, 26-24, 25-19 victory in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at Philsports Arena in Pasig on Thursday.

Determined to bounce back from a five-set loss to PLDT that snapped their 19-game winning streak, the Cool Smashers wasted no time asserting dominance.

Save for a brief second-set struggle, Creamline overwhelmed the Highrisers with its offensive depth and veteran poise, wrapping up the match in one hour and 39 minutes.

The win secured Creamline’s position as the No. 1 seed, finishing the preliminaries with a 10-1 record.

With 10 championship titles under its belt, including three consecutive All-Filipino crowns, Creamline reaffirmed its status as the league’s team to beat.

Petro Gazz also aimed to finish at 10-1, but Creamline secured the top spot with superior set-win points, 29-27.

VALDEZ, CARLOS LEAD COMEBACK

Creamline’s climb back to the top seed was powered by a sensational performance from Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos, who sparked a thrilling second-set comeback.

Down 11-19, the star duo led a dramatic rally, flipping the script to steal the extended set and take a commanding 2-0 lead.

Despite a 10-point loss (25-15) in the opening frame, the Highrisers responded with grit in the second as Ysa Jimenez carried the offense and Roselle Baliton stood tall at the net, slowing down Valdez and disrupting Creamline’s attack.

Galeries Tower surged to a 19-11 advantage and maintained control at 22-15 before the Cool Smashers found their rhythm.

Valdez and Carlos ignited Creamline’s fightback behind precise high-ball sets from Kyle Negrito.

Valdez struck twice from the left wing, while Carlos fired four straight points from the right side.

The Cool Smashers stormed back to tie the set at 22, and Valdez took over, delivering three consecutive hits to push Creamline to set point at 24-22.

The Highrisers fought back as Jho Maraguinot and Andrea Marzan forced an extension, briefly delaying Creamline’s surge.

However, Carlos, momentarily stepping into a playmaking role, set up Valdez for the decisive kill, clinching the set and crushing Galeries Tower’s hopes.

FINISHING KICK

With momentum on its side, Creamline left no room for a repeat of its second-set struggles.

The Cool Smashers raced to a 5-0 start in the third, capped by a service ace from Pangs Panaga, and never looked back.

A kill from Pau Soriano sealed the win to the delight of Creamline’s supporters.

“It was a great game from both sides, but in the end, our fundamentals held up, and all the hard work we put into our system over the past few days paid off,” said Valdez, who finished with 16 points to earn Best Player of the Game honors.

Carlos led all scorers with 18 points, while Bea de Leon added six markers. Jema Galanza and Panaga contributed five points apiece.

Reflecting on their stunning comeback, Valdez emphasized staying focused on each rally and following coach Sherwin Meneses’ instructions.

“We just took it one point at a time, as coach Sherwin always reminds us. Fortunately, the momentum shifted in our favor, and we were able to capitalize on it to close out the set,” she said.

She also acknowledged the difficulty of fighting back from a deep deficit.

“It’s never easy to be in that kind of situation, but we just kept pushing until we found our rhythm,” she added.

Baliton led Galeries Tower with 10 points, including five kill blocks. Jimenez, France Ronquillo, and Maraguinot scored six markers each, while Jewel Encarnacion and Marzan had five apiece.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

As the elimination round concludes, Creamline awaits its opponent in the qualifying phase, set to face the No. 12 seed—either Galeries Tower, Nxled, or Capital1—depending on the final prelims results.

The six winners in this round will advance to the quarterfinals, while the losing teams will battle for the last two playoff spots in a unique play-in tournament.

Meanwhile, Galeries Tower (1-10) fell into a tie with Capital1 but edged ahead in ranking with superior set-win points (11-8).

The Highrisers now brace for a must-win clash against the No. 3 seed to keep their playoff hopes alive.