By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Creamline Cool Smashers lived another day and forced the Petro Gazz Angels to a do-or-die Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference championship series after a five-set win in Game 2, 18-25, 25-16, 25-18, 23-25, 15-6, last March 28, 2023, held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
After going down early when they dropped the first set, the Cool Smashers began to find their groove in the next four sets and showed their never-say-die character.
Jia Morado-De Guzman once again led the Creamline onslaught with her on-point setting and delivered 30 excellent sets on her way to another Best Player of the Game honors.
De Guzman’s well-calculated cross-court sets fed the trio of Michele Gumabao, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza at will and helped them build their confidence midway through the second set.
Aside from her beautiful offensive executions, De Guzman’s leadership inside the playing court also helped Creamline restore order when the Angels were able to notch the morale-boosting fourth set that equalized the intense game at 2 sets apiece.
However, the Cool Smashers went back to their crisp 1-2 attacks in the deciding set, thanks to De Guzman and Ced Domingo’s fine plays that broke the 2-all deadlock.
Creamline then never looked back and started to snowball their way in the last set when Gumabao and Domingo scored in three-straight possessions to force another championship game scheduled today at 5:30 PM.
“Hindi na skills ang labanan pero nag-respond naman ang team. Maganda ung pinakita sa fifth set, ung puso, champion team yan kaya hindi sila bibigay,” said Creamline’s head coach Sherwin Meneses.
Gumabao top-scored for the Cool Smashers with 21 points and continued to fill in the spot of the injured Alyssa Valdez who was ruled out of the tournament before the All-Filipino Conference started.
Backstopping the former De La Salle University (DLSU) standout was Carlos who dropped 20 big points and 22 excellent receptions while Galanza added 17 markers.
