Creamline mounted multiple comebacks in different sets, scraping past Choco Mucho 24-26, 25-20, 25-21, 25-16, to move on the cusp of winning the 2024 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference championship on Thursday evening in front of 17,457 fans inside the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Cool Smashers overhauled significant deficits in all three sets they won, including a 3-10 hole in the second and a 5-12 in the third.
In the fourth, it was the Flying Titans who also took the lead early on 13-10, but Creamline repeated what it did in the previous two frames.
The Cool Smashers went on a rampage with super substitutes Bernadeth Pons and Michele Gumabao leading the way for a mammoth 15-3 blast to finish the match in two hours and 23 minutes, moving one win away from yet another title.
Creamline will go for its fourth-straight All-Filipino crown and its eighth overall in the league on Sunday at 6 p.m., still at the historic Big Dome.
“Syempre hindi pa tapos yung laban 1-0 pa lang. Kailangan talaga makadalawa ka so no need to celebrate talaga,” said Cool Smashers head coach Sherwin Meneses, emphasizing that the job’s not finished. “Ang importante nakuha namin yung Game 1 then tatrabahuhin namin yung Game 2.”
(C) Joaqui Flores/PVL
Meneses used 10 position players and all but one entered the scoring column, with Jema Galanza the leader with 20 points to go with 13 excellent receptions.
Tots Carlos chimed in with 17 points and 12 digs, while Bea De Leon, who only played in the final three sets, scored 11 points including a game-high five blocks, almost out-blocking the entire Choco Mucho mob, which finished with six total.
Alyssa Valdez managed nine points, while Pons and Gumabao had eight and seven respectively, with the former making three aces.
The Cool Smashers exacted vengeance on the Flying Titans, who defeated them in the semifinals, 13-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 18-16 last April 30. They now hold a 13-1 overall record against Choco Mucho.
Creamline dominated Choco Mucho in the spiking and blocking department, 64-51 and 12-5, compensating for their errors of 21, four more than their foes.
(C) Joaqui Flores/PVL
Sisi Rondina came up with another huge outing for the Flying Titans with 27 points on 27-of-77 clip from spikes while also tallying 12 digs and six receptions.
Royse Tubino and Isa Molde backed her up with 15 and eight points, respectively.
