Losing not an option for Tots Carlos, Creamline in comeback win

Tots Carlos.–PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Just when another shocking defeat looked imminent for defending champion Creamline, Tots Carlos delivered a performance for the ages.

Carlos erupted for a career-high 38 points — the highest single-game scoring output by a local player in the Premier Volleyball League, lifting the Cool Smashers over the Cignal HD Spikers in a thrilling come-from-behind 26-28, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 16-14 win in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at Philsports Arena.

The 26-year-old Carlos earned the sixth PVL Press Corps Player of the Week accolade.

“Ayaw naming matalo kasi naranasan na namin ‘yung ganung scenario before. Hindi ko lang matandaan kung sinong kalaban namin pero palagi ‘yun eh, tumatakbo sa isip ko,” Carlos said as Creamline last suffered a stinging straight-set loss to Chery Tiggo last March 16.

“‘Yung mga ganitong opportunity masaya lang din talaga ako pero ‘yun nga, at the end of the day, mas nakakatuwa kasi panalo ‘yung team,” she added.

The three-time league MVP eclipsed her previous career-high of 31 points she set versus Akari several weeks ago. It surpassed the 33-point local pro record of Sisi Rondina in Choco Mucho’s Game Two defeat against Creamline last December.

READ: Tots Carlos only has Creamline in mind as she writes PVL record

Carlos also became the second-highest single-game scorer since the league organized by Sports Vision turned pro behind Akari import Prisilla Rivera, who tallied 44 points versus Choco Mucho in the 2022 Reinforced Conference.

She edged out her teammate Kyle Negrito, as well as Petro Gazz’s Brooke Van Sickle, and Chery Tiggo’s Alina Bicar for the weekly award deliberated upon by print and online scribes covering the league, which is also streamed live on www.pvl.ph.

Not one to gloat on personal glory, the former University of the Philippines star emphasized that Creamline’s success takes precedence over individual achievement.

“‘Yung 38 points ‘di naman ‘yun personal points eh, team points ‘yun so kahit ilang points pa ‘yung makuha namin individually very happy kami kasi it’s really for the team, lagi namang nauuna ‘yung team,” Carlos said.

“Ayaw naming matalo so wala namang special or anything sa mga ginawa namin. It’s just that we really played our hearts out and ‘yun, nakakatuwa kasi sila coach kahit na two sets behind kami wala silang ever sinabi na makaka-pressure sa amin. Actually, siya pa nga ‘yung kumakalma samin na ‘maglaro lang kayo, mag-enjoy lang kayo.’”

Through the heroics of Carlos, the Cool Smashers have regained their spot atop the standings with a 6-1 record, as they seek to kick their title-retention drive into higher gear in the final stretch of the preliminaries.