PVL: Creamline still unbeaten at 3-0, survives Black Mamba

Tots Carlos leads Creamline scorers vs Black Mamba. PVL MEDIA

MANILA, Philippines—Creamline maintained its unbeaten run and staved off Black Mamba Army, 20-25, 25-15, 25-27, 25-19, 15-13, in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference Thursday at PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

The Cool Smashers remained atop the standings with a 3-0 record while the Lady Troopers dropped to 1-2.

Tots Carlos finished with 26 points on the back of 24 scoring spikes and two kill blocks to lead Creamline while Alyssa Valdez added 20 points of her own.

“Of course every team prepares for the tournament, it’s a good thing that our adjustments produced the results we wanted,” said Cool Smashers assistant coach Sherwin Meneses. “Army won’t just give in, that’s one of the most experienced teams.”

The Cool Smashers, who trailed 2-1 in sets, faced another hurdle late in the match when middle blocker sprained her right ankle with the fifth set tied at 13-13.

Risa Sato and Michele Gumabao added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Creamline while Panaga exited the match with nine points.

Jovelyn Gonzaga had 18 points to lead the Lady Troopers while Royse Tubino added 14.

While the Cool Smashers enjoyed a massive 72-48 advantage in kills, they managed to give away 39 free points due to errors while the Lady Troopers limited their miscues to 19.