PVL: Creamline boosts floor defense after signing Jen Nierva

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Creamline Cool Smashers just pulled off their first major move of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) off-season after acquiring the services of libero Jen Nierva, as announced on Jan. 9, 2026.

Nierva, who was a member of the disbanded Chery Tiggo EV Crossovers, is expected to bolster the Cool Smashers’ floor coverage defense once they open their PVL campaign later this month.

Aside from Creamline’s official Facebook page that formally welcomed Nierva via a social media graphic postcard, several members of the team, including Michele Gumabao and Aleiah Torres, shared snaps of the libero already participating in the squad’s training session.

A staple member of the Alas Pilipinas Women’s National Volleyball Team, Nierva’s nose for the ball will be badly needed by the struggling Cool Smashers, who are yet to reclaim the throne they once had after a PVL drought at the end of the 2025 season.

Creamline failed to return to the PVL’s pedestal after tasting a historic grand slam achievement during the 2024 season, winning the Invitational Conference to cap off the year with three consecutive golden trophies.

However, 2025 was not a welcoming season for the ladies in pink as several franchises, including PLDT and Petro Gazz, dashed their hopes of maintaining their dominance in the country’s pro volleyball league.

Also returning this season is former Most Valuable Player (MVP) outside hitter Bernadeth Pons, who is fresh off a historic beach volleyball gold medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.

Nierva’s value with the EV Crossovers could not be denied after the seasoned libero ranked fifth in reception efficiency and seventh in digs per set during the last PVL Reinforced Conference.

Days after Chery Tiggo’s disbandment, she immediately became one of the top names in the free agency off-season market, where Creamline claimed the Nierva sweepstakes.

Nierva will be forming a star-studded defensive lineup with Creamline, together with Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Ella De Jesus, and Torres.