For the longest time, the Creamline Cool Smashers have been the standard of success in the Premier Volleyball League, collecting championships — including a historic grand slam — and setting the bar for consistency.
But as they say, even the best fall sometimes.
After winning four consecutive titles, Creamline has now fallen short of the crown in back-to-back conferences. Yet despite those setbacks, the Cool Smashers have still secured their 18th straight podium finish — a streak that, while short of gold, highlights their unmatched steadiness.
That consistency, more than the trophies themselves, has become Creamline’s defining trait.
For veteran Michele Gumabao, it is a measure of success that deserves just as much recognition as championships — proof that even when the ultimate prize slips away, the Cool Smashers remain at the top of the game.
“But to look at the bright side, sabi nga kanina na hindi nga namin alam na 18 straight podium finish ng Creamline ‘to,” Gumabao said shortly after their bronze win over Cignal on Sunday.
“At the end of the day, we’re still consistent. At the end of the day, it also has never been done. So to be consistent, is also one of the hardest things to do,” she added.
Gumabao went on to explain that championships can come and go, but sustaining excellence is what truly sets Creamline apart.
(C) PVL Images
“I think madali manalo, madaling mag-champion, but to do it over and over again is also the hardest thing. Andun pa rin, hindi pa rin nawawala,” she said.
“One season na hindi nag-champion is not the end for us. We just really have to do better and we will.”
Team captain Alyssa Valdez echoed that sentiment, stressing that the bronze finish does not define the Cool Smashers.
“To add to that lang, I think this bronze medal match doesn’t define the Creamline Cool Smashers as a team. I think that’s exactly MG’s point. It’s the 18 consecutive [podium] and consistently being there,” said Valdez.
“At this point, I think one thing we’re gonna take [from this] is that our hard work, the coaches’ hard work, everybody, our management, are all there. We’re helping each other to reach our goal every single time,” she continued.
“We fell short this time, but definitely we’re gonna be very competitive and push each other to be better pa rin talaga in the coming conferences. We’re just very, very glad. At this point, every game is important, everything for us is worth celebrating and we’re just happy we’re celebrating it together as a team and as a family.”
For a team that has built its legacy on both winning and sustaining excellence, Creamline understands that one season without a championship is only a chapter, not the whole story.
With their unmatched streak of podium finishes and a culture rooted in resilience, the Cool Smashers remain very much in the conversation — a reminder that while dynasties may stumble, they rarely fade away.
#WATCH: Michele Gumabao and Alyssa Valdez remain grateful as they lead Creamline to its 18th straight PVL podium finish 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/MowdPN93E6
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) August 17, 2025
