Courtesy: pvl.ph
Creamline didn’t just win Game One – it sent a message.
In a clinical, no-nonsense sweep that lasted barely 90 minutes, the Cool Smashers exposed both their championship poise and Cignal’s inexperience on the finals stage, seizing not only the series lead but a commanding psychological edge in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Finals.
Now, with just a day to recover and recalibrate, Creamline stands on the brink of another title – their 11th – needing only minor tweaks to close the deal. Cignal, on the other hand, faces a far steeper climb – a rushed reset, a system overhaul and the urgent task of rediscovering the form that carried them this far.
Game 2 is set at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum, where the Cool Smashers aim for coronation and redemption, while the Super Spikers fight to extend the series and keep their breakthrough campaign alive.
PLDT, meanwhile, also shoots for a sweep and the bronze in their side of the best-of-three series against Farm Fresh at 3 p.m. The High Speed Hitters and the Foxies delivered a far more thrilling contest than the championship match, with PLDT narrowly escaping with a 22-25, 25-21, 27-25, 26-28, 15-11 decision.
Coach Sherwin Meneses sees the short turnaround as a clear advantage.
“Syempre, sobrang happy kasi in three sets namin nakuha yung Cignal. Malaking benefit kasi one-day preparation lang para sa Game 2,” he said after outmaneuvering counterpart Shaq delos Santos.
The quick win (25-22, 25-18, 25-16) not only preserved energy but also gave Creamline the luxury of fine-tuning rather than overhauling. Meneses stressed that while the team will address minor lapses in training, complacency remains the bigger threat.
“Makakapag-rest kami nang maayos, then makakapag-training din kasi hindi pa naman tapos yung laban. Ta-trabahuhin namin yung mga lapses namin… pero hindi kami puwedeng magkampante. Ang Cignal, hindi bibitaw yan.”
And yet, Game One suggested otherwise.
Cignal crumbled under the weight of its first-ever All-Filipino Finals appearance, committing 22 errors – 10 more than Creamline – and struggling to match the discipline and rhythm of a team that has long mastered the championship stage.
Creamline’s system ran like clockwork.
Jia de Guzman orchestrated the offense with precision, mixing her sets between a resurgent Jema Galanza, Bernadeth Pons and Tots Carlos and a steady frontline of Bea de Leon and Pangs Panaga. Her unpredictability kept Cignal guessing, constantly a step behind on defense.
Though Cignal’s Gel Cayuna showed flashes early, even outplaying de Guzman with her signature 1-2 plays, the gap widened quickly once Creamline found its groove.
“Siguro nakapag-execute kami nang maayos, at yung chemistry ng players talagang tumataas pa,” Meneses said. “Yung time na mag-jell is nandito ngayon sa Finals.”
That chemistry – sharpened by years of Finals experience – now looms as Creamline’s biggest weapon heading into the clincher.
For Cignal, the path forward is far less comfortable.
“Syempre medyo mabigat para sa amin yun,” admitted delos Santos.
With limited time to prepare, the Super Spikers must go beyond adjustments – they need a reset in mindset and execution. Cutting down errors is non-negotiable, but more importantly, they must return to the identity that powered their run – composed, aggressive and system-driven volleyball.
Delos Santos is banking on belief.
“Kailangan ko maniwala sa team at sa sistema… huwag masyado i-pressure ang sarili. Ilabas lang ang totoong laro naming,” he said.
If Cignal hopes to force a Game 3, it must do three things: stabilize its reception to allow Cayuna to run the offense, minimize unforced errors that gifted Creamline momentum, and match the Cool Smashers’ composure point by point.
Anything less, and the Finals could end as quickly as Game One did.
Because right now, Creamline isn’t just playing to win – it’s playing to celebrate. pvl.ph
