Creamline weathered a fierce ZUS Coffee challenge, leaning on its poise, defensive grit and a decisive fourth-set surge to fashion a 25-19, 16-25, 26-24, 25-17 victory and preserve its unbeaten record in the PVL All-Filipino Conference before a packed Saturday crowd at the FilOil Centre.
In a match that swung sharply from one side to the other, the Cool Smashers found themselves pushed to the brink in the third set before rediscovering their rhythm and stamping their class in the fourth. Their championship pedigree showed when it mattered most, as Michele Gumabao and Pangs Panaga came up with crucial blocks against Chinnie Arroyo to wrest control of the pivotal third set and seize a 2-1 lead.
The one-hour, 49-minute victory was Creamline’s third straight, matching Nxled’s unbeaten start in the Siklab Series, while extending ZUS Coffee’s losing streak to three games.
“Sobrang happy that we survived the game,” said Pons, who finished with 16 points and 14 receptions to earn Best Player of the Game honors. “Hindi ganon kadali kasi ang ganda din talaga ng inilaro ng ZUS Coffee. Pero sobrang grateful kasi lahat naglaro talaga, nag-step up at team effort talaga na naipanalo ang game.”
The teams’ contrasting fortunes offered little indication of the fight that unfolded. After dropping the opening set, the Thunderbelles roared back with a dominant second-set performance to level the match and carried that momentum into a tense third-set battle.
ZUS Coffee even moved to set point, but Bernadette Pons delivered a clutch off-the-block hit to force an extension. With the set hanging in the balance, Gumabao read and foiled Arroyo’s combination play before Panaga shut down the Thunderbelles’ top hitter at the net, capping a crucial defensive stand that gave Creamline the psychological edge.
Rather than allowing the Thunderbelles to regain their footing, the Cool Smashers came out sharper and more organized in the fourth, quickly turning the contest in their favor.
Panaga took center stage, making the most of Jia de Guzman’s pinpoint sets with consecutive quick attacks that helped build an 11-7 lead. She then unleashed three straight service aces, stretching the advantage to 17-10 and dealing a telling blow to the Thunderbelles’ hopes of forcing a deciding fifth set.
With de Guzman orchestrating the offense, Creamline spread the scoring around, keeping the ZUS Coffee defense guessing and bringing Bea de Leon into the attacking mix. The Cool Smashers maintained their grip on the match from there, surviving two late match points before Tots Carlos delivered the finishing blow, sending a powerful hit off a defender’s arms and out of bounds.
Pons credited the team’s patience and discipline for helping it navigate ZUS Coffee’s size and attacking threats.
“Our coaches reminded us na habaan ang patience dahil maganda din ang ginagalaw ng ZUS Coffee at ang lalaki nila, so hinabaan lang namin ang patience at tyinaga namin lahat from defense, stops, palo at coverage,” she added.
Panaga and Carlos finished with 15 and 10 points, respectively, while Jema Galanza chipped in eight. Gumabao and de Leon contributed six points apiece, while Alyssa Valdez added five in an impactful three-set appearance.
For ZUS Coffee, the defeat was another frustrating setback after showing it could go toe-to-toe with one of the league’s most accomplished teams. The Thunderbelles dominated the second set and came within a point of taking the third, but failed to deliver the decisive plays when the match tightened.
Zam Nolasco led ZUS Coffee with 16 points, followed by Nicole Ong with 12 and Jolina dela Cruz with nine. Chai Troncoso added seven, while Arroyo, Fiola Ceballos and AC Miner contributed six, five and four points, respectively.
The Thunderbelles’ spirited resistance made the Cool Smashers work for every advantage, but when the decisive moments arrived, the 11-time champions’ composure and net defense proved the difference.
