In sports, a drought refers to a long period without success.
For Creamline, the winningest team in the Premier Volleyball League, missing the Finals in the last three tournaments already felt like a drought.
The Cool Smashers finally returned to the championship stage on Thursday at the Filoil Centre. They ousted the Farm Fresh Foxies in four sets, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 25-19, to set up a 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference best-of-three Finals showdown against the Cignal Super Spikers.
“Well, siyempre napakasaya, napakasarap sa pakiramdam to be back in the Finals,” said Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez.
“It’s been a while, diba? Isang taon din halos? Tatlong conference din nawala, so actually I think no words can explain kung ano ‘yung nafi-feel namin as of the moment. Kasi one, kumpleto kami ngayon, [and] two, nakapasok kami sa Finals, so God is good talaga to us, especially today.”
While a year removed from their last Finals appearance may seem short to others, it already felt like a long drought for a program that had been a constant fixture on the PVL podium, reaching the Finals in 18 straight conferences.
(C) PVL Images
It was also a painful stretch for the Cool Smashers, as they failed to secure any medal in the 2025 Reinforced Conference — the first time in franchise history — ending a podium streak that spanned eight years.
The team found itself hampered by injuries and saw its winning tradition slowly slipping away due to the results of the last three tournaments, including the PVL On Tour preseason. But Creamline chose to look inward rather than focus on the rapidly improving competition.
“Siguro, in this conference, our mindset is to get to know more of us, [of] Creamline. Kasi sabi ko nga, ngayon lang ulit kami nakumpleto, so ‘yung growth namin, ‘yung journey namin — iba ‘yung growth namin. Iba ‘yung pagkakilala namin in a deeper level din talaga this conference because of all the challenges,” said the Cool Smashers’ heart and soul.
“We’re very glad and happy na na-experience namin ‘yun. Coming into this Finals, siguro ang gusto lang naming maipakita and makita kung sino din talaga ‘yung Creamline Cool Smashers after all the struggles.”
Creamline now faces a tough test against a Cignal side that has had its number as of late.
Although the Cool Smashers won their elimination round encounter in five sets, the Super Spikers responded in the qualifying round with a five-set escape of their own to secure a direct semifinal berth.
In their semifinal clash, Cignal asserted its dominance, winning in four sets, 25-13, 13-25, 25-16, 25-16.
Whether Creamline can rediscover its championship form will be revealed on Tuesday in Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
