Creamline completed its sweep of Group A on Saturday night after narrowly defeating a tough Akari side in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference.
The Cool Smashers, who had not dropped a set before this match, faced a resilient Chargers side that managed to hand the Rebisco-backed team its first set loss after three dominant games in pool play.
Despite suffering their first set loss, former league MVP Jema Galanza chose to focus on the positive aspects. She stated that it is beneficial for Creamline to face tough challenges like the one Akari presented, especially heading into the round-robin semifinals where they will meet two foreign squads.
“Itong last game medyo bumagal yung pace ng team pero at least na-challenge kami itong game na ‘to bago kami pumasok ng semis and sana yun nga, lahat ng mga pagkakamali namin, hindi lang ngayon pati sa mga past games namin, e maayos talaga namin,” said Galanza after the four-set win.
“Nawala kasi yung happy happy vibes talaga kanina. Medyo mabagal ngayon. Mabagal yung pace namin, hindi namin nakuha agad yung gusto naming laro kanina. Nasabayan pa ng magandang laro ng Akari. Siguro yun lang, dami ring errors sa padulo.”
Galanza, who sealed the game with a cross-court attack, finished with a game-high 16 points from 13 attacks and contributed seven excellent receptions in the 25-19, 24-26, 26-24, 25-19 triumph over the Chargers at the Philsports Arena.
Creamline concluded the pool stage with a perfect 4-0 record, remaining the only unbeaten team in the league.
Despite the team’s impressive performance in the group stage, Galanza acknowledged that Creamline still has room for improvement heading into the semifinals. She stated that the team will utilize the upcoming days to prepare and enhance their skills.
“Actually lahat naman kailangan naming i-improve kasi bilang team ‘di naman kami perfect.
“Iti-training namin yun sa mga susunod na araw habang naghihintay pa ng semis. Siguro yung ano din, jelling pa kasi talagang ‘di natin alam mangyayari sa semis kung sino ba makakatapat,” she said.
