Jema Galanza took Creamline’s second straight defeat as a personal wake-up call, acknowledging that she still has plenty to work on after committing crucial errors in their five-set loss to Choco Mucho in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series last Thursday.
The Cool Smashers came up short in a gripping showdown, 23-25, 25-13, 25-23, 22-25, 13-15, against the Flying Titans, suffering their second consecutive loss after previously falling to PLDT in four sets. The back-to-back setbacks dropped Creamline to a 4-2 record as the semifinals race continued to tighten.
While the defeat exposed several areas that Creamline needs to address, Galanza turned the spotlight on herself, admitting that she could have done more to help the team avoid another setback.
“Wake-up call din siya para sa akin, na may mga kailangan pa akong ayusin, may kailangan pa akong itulong sa team. Siyempre, iba rin yung setup ng season, so adjusting din talaga yung nangyayari,” she said.
The former league MVP acknowledged that costly errors and squandered opportunities hurt the Cool Smashers, who committed 27 errors in the match, particularly during crucial stretches when every point mattered.
Galanza herself had a couple of costly miscues in the deciding set, including an attack that sailed long and allowed Choco Mucho to pull level at 9-all.
Another attempt failed to clear the net moments later, helping the Flying Titans establish a 13-11 cushion.
(C) PVL Images
“Ang daming errors, ang daming nasayang na mga puntos, pero ganun talaga, nobody’s perfect. Yung team din, nagko-commit sa mga importanteng puntos, so ayun yung kailangan talaga naming ma-work out, especially yung mga susunod naming games. Talagang importante na talaga para sa amin,” Galanza said.
For Galanza, however, the challenge goes beyond correcting technical mistakes.
She pointed to the mental battle that comes with trying to force points, particularly when players become eager to make things happen and finish rallies quickly.
“Mentally kasi ang kalaban mo sa mga ganung errors. Minsan gusto mo rin talagang makapuntos, gusto mo talagang mas mapadali yung laro, pero yun nga, minsan yung mga ganun kasi, mas nagko-commit ka ng errors,” she explained.
“Pero I think sa tagal na naming naglalaro, ganun naman yung nangyayari, talagang merong magandang laro, merong hindi. Kailangan mo lang talaga siyang aralin araw-araw, kaya rin naman kami nagte-training. Sinabi ko naman, di kami perfect, so yung mga pagkakamali namin, aayusin namin every day,” Galanza added.
Creamline will have time to regroup and reflect on the loss before returning to action, allowing the 29-year-old outside hitter and her teammates to identify the areas they need to improve.
However, the Cool Smashers cannot afford to dwell on the defeat for long, with the unbeaten Nxled next on their schedule.
Galanza stressed the importance of quickly moving forward, having experienced similar situations in previous campaigns.
“I think di naman ito yung first time din namin na parang laro agad. Ayun, natalo, laro agad, so yun lang, kailangan lang talaga naming kalimutan agad yung mga nangyari, and maglaro.”
As Creamline looks to arrest its two-game skid, Galanza is determined to turn the latest setback into a learning experience, starting with the mistakes she knows she needs to correct.
