WHEN the pressure peaked and the moment demanded everything, Creamline didn’t just respond – it delivered a championship statement.
The Cool Smashers demonstrated their championship prowess by saving multiple match points in a thrilling fourth set and then dominating the decider, stunning the PLDT High Speed Hitters with a score of 22-25, 27-25, 19-25, 28-26, 15-10, and securing a tie with the Cignal Super Spikers for the early lead in the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference late Saturday.
It was a comeback carved out of grit, poise, and sheer will.
With the majority of the 12,411 fans inside the SM Mall of Asia Arena rising to their feet – their thunderous cheers echoing beyond the venue – Creamline turned desperation into dominance. And when the match reached its breaking point, the Cool Smashers leaned on their championship DNA to close it out in emphatic fashion.
At the heart of the rally were Bernadeth Pons and Jema Galanza, who powered Creamline’s resurgence with a dazzling 1-2 punch in the clutch.
Pons erupted for 28 points in a Best Player of the Game performance, while Galanza staged a fiery return, shaking off a scoreless stint against the Akari Chargers to unload 17 points – many coming at the most critical junctures of the match.
Galanza’s clutch hits in the fifth set proved decisive, including a blistering attack that preserved a 12-8 lead. Moments later, after Savi Davison sparked a brief PLDT fightback, Pangs Panaga stepped in with a crucial point, and Pons converted Kyle Atienza’s spectacular dig into a thunderous hit for match point, 14-10.
This time, there would be no escape for PLDT.
Under immense pressure, Davison’s final attack slammed into the net, triggering a deafening eruption from the 10-time champion Creamline faithful – inside the arena and far beyond.
It may have been just the opening match of the round-robin semis, but the way Creamline fought, survived, and ultimately imposed its will made it feel far more significant – like a preview of another championship run.
“Sobrang saya kasi naitawid namin ang game ngayon… sobrang proud ako sa effort ng team (I’m very happy because we managed to get through the game today… I’m very proud of the team’s effort),” said Pons after the grueling two-hour, 20-minute battle.
After four sets of back-and-forth warfare, the Cool Smashers seized control early in the fifth.
Tots Carlos and Panaga established the tone, and after a few brief deadlocks, Creamline surged ahead, 8-4, thanks to Galanza’s off-the-block brilliance. The lead ballooned to 11-5 as Galanza continued to deliver, capitalizing on errors from Alleiah Malaluan and the unraveling PLDT defense.
From there, Creamline never looked back. pvl.ph
