Third seed Creamline ended sixth-ranked Petro Gazz’s reign in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference with a decisive victory.
In a match held on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, the Cool Smashers defeated the defending two-time Reinforced Conference champions in straight sets, 25-23, 25-19, 25-18, to secure the final spot in the semifinals.
Despite being without their top stars, Creamline dominated what was expected to be a close contest, thanks to strong performances from Erica Staunton and Bernadeth Pons.
Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses expressed satisfaction with the win, saying, “Syempre mag-celebrate kami ng konti kasi one day lang yung preparation for semifinals. Ire-rest muna namin yung mga utak namin para makapag-prepare kami bukas sa training.” He added, “Masaya kami kasi alam nyo (naman) knockout games eh so enjoy muna namin yung panalo namin.”
Staunton was the standout performer, leading all scorers with 19 points, including 16 attacks and three blocks, and adding seven excellent receptions. Pons contributed significantly as well, with 16 points and 12 excellent receptions during the hour and a half of play.
(C) PVL Images
“I love my teammates and so, just making sure that I’m staying external because if I get internal and too much into my head then it affects my play so just making sure that I’m connecting with my teammates all the time, communicating, overly communicating if I’m feeling any nerves inside or anything like that,” Staunton said.
Pons added, “Syempre unang-una, masaya kasi na-survive namin ‘yung game today. Do-or-die nga ‘to and hindi ganun kadali kalaban nga rin ‘yung Petro Gazz kasi mga beterano na rin sila. Sabi nga namin sa isa’t isa, it’s a do-or-do, so we’re not gonna die.”
Veteran opposite spiker Michele Gumabao also made a key contribution with 11 points, while Jeanette Panaga, Bea De Leon, and Kyle Negrito each added five points.
Negrito, the reigning All-Filipino Conference Best Setter, delivered 16 excellent sets.
Despite the absence of stars Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos, Creamline advances to the Invitational Conference alongside Akari, Cignal, and PLDT.
They will face two foreign teams in the semifinals, aiming to capture the Reinforced Conference title after a third-place finish in the previous edition in 2022. The Cool Smashers, fresh from back-to-back titles in the All-Filipino Conference, will compete against second seed HD Spikers on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the Philsports Arena.
Petro Gazz, which had a challenging start to the conference but managed to make the playoffs, ended the tournament with its lowest finish in the import-laced competition, placing sixth. This marks the first time the Angels will miss the top four of the Reinforced Conference since its inception in 2018.
(C) PVL Images
Wilma Salas and reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle each scored 18 points for Petro Gazz, with Salas adding 11 excellent digs and five excellent receptions. Van Sickle also had seven excellent receptions.
No other Petro Gazz player reached double digits in this crucial match, with team captain Remy Palma contributing seven points in the loss.
