SANTA ROSA, LAGUNA – Facing uncertainty, Creamline team captain Alyssa Valdez urged her teammates to dig deep and give their all as they continue to push forward in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
The Cool Smashers were noticeably missing three key figures—head coach Sherwin Meneses, as well as leading scorers Bernadeth Pons and Jema Galanza—in their four-set defeat at the hands of Farm Fresh at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex here on Tuesday night.
Meneses is reportedly hospitalized, while Pons declined to speak to the media. Galanza, meanwhile, had already left the venue and was unavailable for comment.
“Coming into this game, siguro our mindset really is to fight and give our all. There are instances that we couldn’t really control, a lot of scenarios for our team na we really didn’t expect na gonna happen in a snap na magkakasabay,” said Valdez, who finished with 14 points in the loss.
“It’s definitely sad na hindi kami ganun kakumpleto. But in terms of presence naman, alam naman namin na nandito rin sila supporting us. But napakalaking adjustment, really.”
The absence of the three was sorely felt as Creamline, which entered the match aiming to secure a spot in the qualifying round, quickly fell into a 0-2 hole, struggling to find its rhythm against a determined Farm Fresh side.
(C) PVL Images
The Cool Smashers found their groove behind Tots Carlos, Dij Rodriguez, Jeanette Panaga, Jia De Guzman, and Valdez in a dominant third-set win, only to fall short in a tight fourth set as the Foxies regained control and closed out the match.
“We all know that Jema and Pons are the top two, most especially sa stats in the PVL now so malaki, malaki ‘yung nawala talaga. But positive din naman ‘yung dalawa na makatulong pa rin at mas makabalik rin sila nang mas maayos,” said Valdez.
“Kay Coach Sherwin, we’re so sad na hindi rin namin siya nakasama. We’re praying for his fast recovery, but ganyan talaga, may mga pagkakataon na hindi natin inaasahang darating.”
Despite the setback, Creamline still has a chance to secure a spot in the qualifying phase, but it must defeat Cignal when the two teams face off on Saturday to avoid falling to the play-in round.
Valdez hopes the rest of the Cool Smashers remain resilient despite the uncertainty surrounding Pons, Galanza, and Meneses.
“So for our campaign in this tournament, we’re really gonna fight, and we’re gonna give our all every single game. Kung saan kami aabutin, dun siguro. But definitely, paghahandaan pa rin namin every game,” said the three-time league MVP.
“We really have to be prepared, and we really have to fight. Siguro isa ‘yun sa mga natutunan namin, we have to fight, we have to give our all, at kung saan kami abutin, ‘yun na siguro ‘yung mas importante. But at least buo kami, we’re together still.”
#WATCH: THERE ARE INSTANCES WE CANNOT CONTROL 🏐
Alyssa Valdez says that despite Creamline’s current predicament, she vows the Cool Smashers will continue to give their all the rest of the way in #PVL2026#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/gDWAK6KsW7
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/A0yPSyDnQW
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 17, 2026
