Creamline Cool Smashers in the semifinals. PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Creamline made use of its high-caliber weapons to destroy Choco Mucho, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-15, Sunday and barge into the championship round of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at Mall of Asia Arena.
Cool Smashers Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and Alyssa Valdez went all-out from the offensive end to overturn a first-set setback en route to sweeping the best-of-three semifinals and return to the finals.
Now Creamline, runner-up in last year’s Open Conference, will wait for the winner between Cignal and PetroGazz in the other semifinals.
Carlos unloaded 23 points, Galanza 17 and Valdez 16, flustering Choco Mucho’s defense through sheer scoring output. The Cool Smashers had out-attacked the Flying Titans, 48-29, entering the fourth set.
Choco Mucho had a running start, establishing better net defense courtesy of Cherry Nunag who helped the Flying Titans post seven kill-blocks in the first set alone.
The Flying Titans also whipped up a more balanced attacking pattern with Isa Molde and Des Cheng lighting up the scoreboards early one as they went 23-15.
The Cool Smashers clawed their way back, scoring the next seven points to rein in the rampaging Flying Titans. But that’s until Alyssa Valdez and Fille Cayetano bungled back-to-back serves.
Good thing for Creamline, it went steadier from the service line in the second set, raining down five aces which threw off Choco Mucho.
In the third set, though, Choco Mucho went up, 15-13, on a smash by Des Cheng before Jema Galanza started scoring in bunches in that gave the Cool Smashers the momentum to take the frame.