VIGAN, Ilocos Sur – Creamline faced a gritty challenge from Akari but proved steadier and more seasoned when it mattered most, hacking out a hard-earned 27-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-18 victory to seize a share of the lead with Cignal in Pool B at the close of the two-day PVL On Tour inaugurals Monday night at the Chavit Coliseum here.
It wasn’t the dominant performance the Cool Smashers’ faithful had expected after their clinical sweep of the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Sunday (25-10, 25-21, 25-10). But the near-capacity crowd still left satisfied, seeing their squad show resilience and composure in their push to reclaim lost glory after falling short against the Petro Gazz Angels in the recent All-Filipino Conference.
Michele Gumabao followed up her Best Player of the Game outing against the Capital1 Solar Spikers with another strong showing, firing 18 points, while Alyssa Valdez turned back the clock with a vintage 16-point performance. Jema Galanza chipped in 12 markers to bolster Creamline’s balanced attack.
Rookie Sheena Toring also stepped up in a big way. After a modest five-point, two-set stint against Capital1, the young middle blocker delivered 10 points – from quick attack sets from Kyle Negrito – making a strong case in the absence of veteran Bea de Leon.
“We’re very happy and grateful that we were able to apply everything we trained for over the past three weeks,” said Valdez, who was named Best Player of the Game. “We’re really looking forward to improving even more.”
Coach Sherwin Meneses echoed Valdez’s sentiments, saying in Filipino: “We still have a lot to improve on to sustain our strong performance moving forward.”
Valdez also gave credit to the Vigan fans for their enthusiastic support.
“They’re so passionate. You can really feel how much they love Creamline – and the entire PVL,” she said.
The two-hour 11-minute duel saw Creamline tie Cignal at 2-0, with the HD Spikers earlier blasting the Capital1 Solar Spikers, 25-21, 25-22, 25-16, to likewise sweep their opening matches in the two-month pre-season tilt. The tournament features 12 teams split into two pools, with the top two from each bracket advancing directly to the semis. The remaining squads will battle it out in a crossover knockout round to determine the final four.
Despite early setbacks, both Akari and Capital1 remain in the hunt, with expected adjustments in the coming matches as they seek to reboot their respective campaigns in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
Akari, in particular, looked like a different team from its opening-day loss, showing poise and resolve in pushing the heavily favored Cool Smashers to the limit. The Chargers nearly stole the opening set behind a gritty rally, even earning a set point off a Grethcel Soltones kill.
But Creamline’s composure held as Galanza redeemed herself with a game-tying hit, followed by a fortunate net-assisted serve from Kyle Negrito and a long hit from Steph Bustrillo that sealed the set for Creamline.
The Chargers, however, refused to back down in Set 2, riding on a solid net defense and timely attacks from Eli Soyud and Soltones to gain a 14-10 edge. Creamline responded with a fiery 5-0 run, highlighted by Lorie Bernardo’s back-to-back hits and Valdez’s ace.
But Akari answered right back, winning a block-touch challenge, and Soyud followed up with a monster block on Galanza. Ezra Madrigal delivered a crafty drop ball to push Akari to set point, and Soltones closed it with a crosscourt bullet to tie the match at one set apiece.
Creamline raced to an early lead in the third set, with Gumabao igniting a 6-2 run. Though the Chargers fought back with a series of counterattacks to force a pair of ties, the last at 8, the Cool Smashers quickly regained control, pulling ahead 15-10 before leaning on Galanza’s powerful hits and Kyle Negrito’s ace to take the set and a 2-1 lead.
The 10-time league champions, barely showing the absence of key players Tots Carlos and de Leon, carried their third-set momentum into the fourth, racing to a 5-0 start behind sharp execution, efficient hitting and excellent floor spacing. From there, they never looked back, shutting the door on any potential Akari rally.
A trademark slide attack from Pangs Panaga extended Creamline’s lead to 16-9, and the Cool Smashers maintained control despite the Chargers’ late push anchored on their solid net defense. In the end, Creamline’s composure and depth proved too much, sealing the win and their share of the Pool B lead.
Soltones led the Chargers’ charge with 18 points, while Ced Domingo and Soyud backed her up with 12 and 11 markers, respectively. Madrigal and Ivy Lacsina also made key contributions, combining for 15 points.
Despite the balanced effort, Akari slipped to 0-2, falling into a tie with Capital1 at the bottom of Pool B.
