Creamline Cool Smashers win latest PVL championship. PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Creamline therefore put an exclamation point to what has been a foregone conclusion: It is unmatched, untouchable and unbeaten.
With its star-studded roster taking turns in flashing brilliance, Creamline completed a perfect run to claim the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference with a 2-0 sweep of overmatched PetroGazz late Saturday.
An Angels’ attack error let loose the confetti and balloons inside the FilOil Flying V Center as Creamline scored a 29-27, 25-22, 27-25 victory in Game 2 of the best-of-three championship.
In doing so, the Cool Smashers also made the league record books by retaining the title via 20-game sweep of the conference, dropping just five sets throughout the dominant run.
Alyssa Valdez was of course at the front and center of it all, smashing 19 points in game 2 including clusters of points when all the three sets were in danger.
The national team star player hit the championship point, 26-25, for Creamline which had to endure two set points by PetroGazz. The Angels were fighting till the end but couldn’t match defending champion’s force panache.
The Cool Smashers encountered resistance from the Angels, losing a set point twice in the first frame before Valdez fired back-to-back points to secure it.
The same thing happened in the next frame as Valdez hit successive kills to complete the Cool Smashers rally from 17-19.
Jema Galanza, the Most Valuable Player and Best Open Spiker, finished with 16 points, including four late in the third frame.
Jovielyn Prado scored 11 points for PetroGazz which also got the same output from Jeannette Panaga.