Creamline Cool Smashers in the PVL All-Filipino Conference. –PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Creamline bolstered its PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinal bid with a 25-22, 25-12, 25-20 bounce-back win against eliminated Nxled on Saturday at PhilSports Arena.
Tots Carlos produced 18 points from 14 attacks and four of the Cool Smashers’ five aces to lift her crew to a 7-2 card for a much better position in the standings after a five-set heartbreak against Petro Gazz recently in Laguna province.
“Masaya kami sa panalo namin ngayon. Naka-recover kami doon sa last game namin, yung five sets. Syempre ang mindset lang, yung game ngayon so wala munang ibang iisipin,” coach Sherwin Meneses said.
SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024
“Mag-focus lang kami na makukuha namin yung panalo today. Masaya kami at nakuha namin yung trabaho ng maganda ngayon,” he added.
Alyssa Valdez contributed 12 attack points and Jema Galanza 10 points for Creamline who will still clash with sister team Choco Mucho and PLDT, two of the hottest teams here right now.
The Flying Titans are atop the standings with an 8-1 record, followed by Creamline before the High Speed Hitters with 7-1 and the Angels at 6-2.
“We’re very, very happy. I think more than the win … we have to find ourselves in this game also and in this conference and we’re slowly building that confidence and finding who we are back again,” Valdez said.
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Nxled matched the effort of Creamline in the decider as Jho Maraguinot, who had eight points, punched a kill through the block to level the game at 19-all.
But the Cool Smashers were already in the zone and after a trio of errors from the Chameleons, Pangs Panaga, Carlos and Michele Gumabao, joined hands to lift Creamline down the stretch.
“I think that’s the most important thing, most especially medyo interesting and exciting games yung mga next games namin so kailangan naming makita yung mga sarili namin and yung confidence,” Valdez said.
Gumabao, who came in cold after only being fielded in the final frame, scored her only two points to adjourn the meeting.
“Since we’re a veteran team so more than just the skills, it’s more of really playing it all out there no matter kung sinong kalaban so we’re very, very happy that we’re slowly, gradually finding ourselves,” Valdez added.
“I think we’ll take the win and we’ll take the learnings but definitely … marami na namang nakita sila coach na aayusin, pero yung motivation talaga namin I think, most definitely out of all the seasons, ito yung isa sa mga games na we were there and we were happy so ‘yun ‘yung win din naman today,” she said.