Creamline just showed the Premier Volleyball League what championship composure really looks like.
Crushed in the fourth set, the Cool Smashers stayed true to their name and remained cool under pressure. They regained their form in the decider to extend the record six-month-long All-Filipino Conference for one final play date.
Bernadeth Pons and Pangs Panaga linked up to deliver Creamline to a 25-15, 16-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-9 triumph over Petro Gazz to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Thursday in front of 11,058 fans inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The rubber match is on Saturday, 7:00 PM, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City where the Cool Smashers will aim to annex a five-peat while the Angels will seek to raise their third title.
Game 3 of the battle for bronze series between Choco Mucho and Akari will be played at 3:00 PM. The games will have separate tickets.
(C) PVL Images
“Dikitan ‘yung laban talaga so siguro yung mga audience nasayahan kasi dalawang game na ganon ang labanan. Sa amin naman, masaya kami na nakabawi kami pero hindi pa tapos ‘yung laban eh. Talagang patibayan ng puso, patapangan, yun ang labanan ngayon eh,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses.
Unlike in Game 1 — when the Cool Smashers lost control in the fifth set and came up short — they fixed their finishing performance this time.
With back-to-back hits by the Angels tying what could have been the Cool Smashers’ final set of the conference, Meneses called a timeout to give orders and calm his team.
Pons heard her coach loud and clear, unleashing a personal 3-1 blitz to push Creamline to the technical timeout, 8-6. Then Jema Galanza and Panaga, aided by Myla Pablo’s errors, allowed the 10-time champions to erect a 12-8 advantage.
MJ Phillips tried to lift Petro Gazz with an off-the-block hammer, but Panaga and Galanza delivered the finishing touches for the Creamline win after two hours and 28 minutes.
“Unang-una, sabi nga sa amin ni coach after nung Game 1, hindi pa tapos. So ‘wag kami masyado mag-isip kasi may Game 2 pa, so hawak pa rin namin, nasa kamay pa rin namin,” said Pons, who made 22 points, 12 receptions, and nine digs.
Despite committing 27 errors, four more than the Angels, the Cool Smashers still eked out this win with Kyle Negrito tossing 26 excellent sets. Thanks to that, Galanza ended up with 13 points, Panaga collected 12, and Michele Gumabao chipped in 11.
Kyla Atienza was also stellar with 18 excellent receptions and 16 excellent digs.
(C) PVL Images
Brooke Van Sickle led Petro Gazz with 18 points on 14-of-55 spiking clip while also tallying 14 receptions and 10 digs.
Phillips finished with 15 points on nine attacks, four aces, and two blocks, while Jonah Sabete produced 14 points, 12 receptions, and 11 digs.
#WATCH: Coach Sherwin Meneses lauds the grit of Benadeth Pons, Jema Galanza, and the Cool Smashers for pushing the #PVL2025 Finals series to a do-or-die 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/sBxtRB2sQe
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 10, 2025
