Embracing the partisan Batangas crowd, the Creamline Cool Smashers zoomed to the top of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference standings after dropping the Tacloban Fighting Warays, 25-14, 27-25, 26-24.
With a sea of pink filling the Batangas City Coliseum bleachers, the Cool Smashers leaned on the roaring crowd and hometown hero Alyssa Valdez to easily gain the first set.
Creamline needed to battle back from a 7-13 deficit in the second set and force a deuce thanks to a misdirection play for Valdez. The Cool Smashers eventually wore Tacloban out, grabbing set point, 26-25, after a Risa Sato quick. Tacloban middle blocker Andrea Marzan was then tagged with an overreaching violation that handed Creamline a 2-0 lead.
Leading 15-11, Creamline seemed to have a clear path to a sweep in sight. But Tacloban stayed alive and absorbed the next six points thanks to solid serving from Heather Guino-o, to take the lead. Tacloban eventually amassed a 23-21 lead which Valdez slowly eviscerated. The four-time league Most Valuable Player slipped in three straight aces to get Creamline to match point. The Fighting Warays managed to force another deuce, but Kuttika Kaewpin and Risa Sato clinched Creamline’s last two points.
The Cool Smashers (4-1) will try to keep their momentum going when they face fellow league-leaders Bali Pure-NU Water Defenders (3-1) on June 2 at the FilOil Flying V Centre. Tacloban (2-3) take on the Iriga-Navy Lady Oragons (1-3) on Wednesday, also at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
