Games Thursday
4 p.m. – Cignal vs ZUS Coffee
6:30 p.m. – PLDT vs Farm Fresh
Creamline may have been stunned momentarily by a resurgent Galeries Tower in the second set, but when the pressure mounted, the Cool Smashers showed exactly why they remain the league’s gold standard.
Drawing from years of championship experience, Creamline imposed its will in the pivotal third frame before holding steady in a tension-filled endgame in the fourth to carve out a 25-14, 17-25, 25-18, 25-23 victory in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the FilOil Playtime Centre Tuesday night, March 4.
More than power, it was poise that spelled the difference.
Digging and passing – not just sheer firepower – anchored Creamline’s third-set takeover. The Cool Smashers tightened their floor defense, steadied their reception and turned rallies into calculated attacks. Every scramble ball became an opportunity, every extended exchange a test of patience that they willingly embraced. It was a championship response from a team that knows how to weather turbulence.
In the fourth set, that same composure was tested again.
After racing to a commanding 12-1 lead behind the relentless attacks of Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and Bernadette Pons, Creamline appeared headed for a breeze. But Galeries Tower refused to fold, clawing back from a deep deficit and showcasing the growing maturity of a team no longer content to simply compete.
The Highrisers erased multiple match points and pulled within one, 23-24, behind back-to-back aces from Jules Coronel and a flurry of quick strikes that sent a jolt of tension across the arena. What once seemed a comfortable cushion suddenly felt fragile.
This was the moment where lesser teams unravel.
Creamline did not.
After two shaky receptions threatened to shift the tide, the Cool Smashers regrouped. They steadied the first ball. Setter Jia De Guzman, calm as ever amid the rising pressure, made the smartest play available – a quick set to Pangs Panaga, who delivered with precision, slicing through the defense for the clinching hit that silenced the rally and preserved Creamline’s nerve-tested victory.
It was not just a winning play. It was a championship play.
The victory, earned in one hour and 46 minutes, pushed Creamline to its fourth straight win after an opening-game setback, improving to 4-1 for a share of second place with the PLDT at 12 points. Cignal continues to lead the standings at 4-2 with a 13-point aggregate.
“Sa tingin ko yung sa lahat ng mga situation na nangyari kanina, may panget, may maganda, pero syempre nanalo kami maging happy kami, maging kuntento kami sa panalo. Pero syempre, marami pa talagang pagtatrabahuhan yung team,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses.
Carlos topscored with 19 points, Pons added 15 and Galanza and Panaga finished with 12 nd 11 points, respectively, with Alyssa Valdez scoring four impact points in a lone-set stint, as Creamline outhit Galeries Tower, 53-43. The Highrisers countered in blocks, 9-7, but the Cool Smashers scored nine aces against their rivals’ six.
“Kailangan naming bumawi,” said Carlos, acknowledging their lackluster showing in the second frame.
Determined not to let the momentum slip away, she made her presence felt not just on offense but on defense, finishing with 13 excellent digs to anchor Creamline’s recovery and earn top honors.
“I think nagiging maganda naman na ‘yung rhythm ng team kahit sino naman ipasok sa loob. We trust in coach’s system, and we’re doing our job. May mga ibigay saming trabaho, gagawin namin. As you can see, papalit-palit kami and we know that everyone can do the job, so we’re happy with the performance of the team,” said Carlos.
“We’re looking forward to our next game,” she added, emphasizing the team’s focus on continuous improvement as they brace for tougher challenges ahead.
Asis and Erika Deloria carried the fight for Galeries Tower with 12 and 11 while Gayle Pascual and Coronel matched six-point outputs, and Roselle Baliton and Aiza Pontillas added five markers apiece. But the Highrisers fell short in the end and dropped to 2-4.
Creamline’s dominance in Set 3 – highlighted by a 15-8 edge in attacks – carried into the fourth, where the Cool Smashers scored eight of the first nine points. Yet what stood out most was not the scoring burst, but their refusal to panic when Galeries Tower mounted its late surge.
From Lycha Ebon’s timely hits to Jean Asis’ quick conversions and Coronel’s service barrage, the Highrisers threw everything they had at the 10-time champions. But Creamline’s response was telling: no rushed swings, no visible frustration, no collapse.
Instead, there was structure. Trust. Discipline.
That is the mark of a team forged in countless championship battles – one whose nerves rarely crack, even in the most pressure-packed situations.
For Creamline, this was more than just another win. It was a reminder that when the match tightens and the stakes rise, composure becomes their most lethal weapon.
