Creamline outlasts PetroGazz to close in on PVL crown

Kuttika Kaewpin topscores for Creamline in Game 1 of the PVL Reinforced Finals. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—A crucial error helped Creamline take a 24-26, 25-16, 25-16, 25-22 win over PetroGazz for a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals of Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Center.

An overreach error called on Cherry Nunag, the Angels’ 31st error, ended the game in an anticlimactic finish to an otherwise thrilling outing that put the Cool Smashers within a victory of the crown.

Creamline can claim the Reinforced title on Saturday at the same venue.

Michelle Gumabao found the spot on a crosscourt kill and Alyssa Valdez notched an ace to give the Cool Smashers a 23-20 lead in the fourth set, but the Angels wouldn’t go down without a fight and responded with two straight points on Chie Saet and Janisa Johnson’s kills.

Ale Blanco then scored on an off-the-block kill that put Cool Smashers at the 24-22 match point before Nunag’s error.

“Just breaks of the game because PetroGazz is a very experienced team with two of the best imports right now in the PVL,” said Valdez of Wilma Salas and Janisa Johnson. “As long as the game’s not over, we kept pushing each other and we had that good of a result.”

Kuttika Kaewpin led all scorers with 21 points for Creamline while Blanco and Valdez had 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Johnson had a team-high 20 points for the Angels, who are in the finals for the first time, while Wilma Salas had 18 points.