PVL: Alyssa Valdez, Creamline put semis loss behind facing must-win

Creamline’s Alyssa Valdez during a PVL semifinal game against Petro Gazz.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO — It wasn’t how Alyssa Valdez and the Creamline Cool Smashers wanted to start their 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals campaign.

But they have no choice but to move forward, needing to win back-to-back games to keep their “five-peat” bid alive after the Cool Smashers were stunned by the peaking Petro Gazz Angels, 23-25, 22-25, 25-21, 16-25, on Saturday evening in front of more than 5,900 fans at Ynares Center Antipolo.

“Definitely, it was a tough loss for sure. Not the best way to start the semifinals, but the coaches reminded us that it’s already happened. We have to let it go because the next games are what really matter. We can’t dwell on this, so we need to move forward and focus on the next one,” said Valdez in Filipino after scoring 10 points off the bench.

READ: PVL semifinals: Petro Gazz stuns Creamline

The three-time PVL MVP said the Cool Smashers were quiet at the dugout after the loss to Petro Gazz, which flaunted its depth with other players stepping up aside from Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo.

But Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses and his staff urged the Cool Smashers not to dwell on the tough setback.

“It wasn’t the usual ‘happy, happy’ Cool Smashers. Everyone was quiet, just taking it in and trying to leave everything that happened behind in Ynares. But the coaches reminded us that if we stay like this, it’ll affect us more. So they told us to leave it behind, move on, and focus on training tomorrow,” Valdez said.

READ: PVL semifinals preview: Creamline’s drive for five faces familiar foes

Creamline faces Akari, which stunned Choco Mucho in five sets, on Tuesday at Philsports Arena, trying to save its season before facing the Flying Titans on Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Valdez vows the Cool Smashers are ready to fight now that their backs are against the wall.

“It’s not the start that we wanted. The challenge is very big, but… [we’ve] accepted [it]. We put ourselves in this situation, so it’s up to us to find a way to save the season,” the Creamline captain said.