The rare opportunity to play alongside—and learn from—the league’s top talent was what ultimately swayed Jennifer Nierva to join Creamline following Chery Tiggo’s disbandment.
Nierva signed with the Cool Smashers during the offseason, saying the chance to share the court with some of the league’s biggest stars—Alyssa Valdez, Jia De Guzman, Michele Gumabao, and Denden Lazaro-Revilla—was simply too good to pass up.
“I have an opportunity to play among the best in our country. ‘Di mo siya makukuha pa lagi, ‘yung opportunity to play with them. Nung nag-reach out yung Creamline, yun din yung factor na tiningnan ko,” said the 26-year-old libero out of National University.
“Maraming big names, di lang yung big names, pati yung culture and family na tinatawag nila sa Creamline before pa ako pumasok, yun din yung talagang naka-enganyo sakin na I also want to be a part of that family and experience how it feels like to be taken care of Rebisco,” she added.
For the former UAAP Best Libero, going from watching these stars on television to sharing the court with them has been a dream come true—and seeing their work ethic in practice has only deepened her respect and admiration.
“Minsan nga sa training na-realize ko, who would’ve thought na magiging teammate ko sina Ate Jia, Ate Alyssa, MG, Ate Denden na pinapanood ko lang sa TV, and now, I’m playing with them,” said Nierva.
“Nakikita ko sila araw-araw paano sila magtrabaho, paano nila ako ini-inspire. Iba yung work ethic nila kahit magaling na sila, kahit veterans na sila. They’re always open to learning pa rin,” she added.
Nierva is no stranger to playing alongside the sport’s brightest icons, having shared the court with Aby Maraño, Ara Galang, and Mylene Paat during her stint with her first professional team, the Crossovers.
She said she feels blessed to have had that experience early in her professional career—sharing the court with some of the sport’s biggest stars not only helped her grow as a player but also prepared her for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead with Creamline.
“Sabi ko, grabe yung plans ni Lord sa buhay at career ko kasi parang nag-in line niya lahat yun na, dumaan ka sa mga magagaling. You have to learn from them kasi there’s no other way to improve and to get better on your craft that being with the best,” Nierva said.
“Every day, I treasure it kahit nung magkakasama pa lang kami nila Tyang, Ate Ara. Iba’t ibang work ethics, iba’t ibang attitude, iba’t ibang pananaw. I just try to grasp lahat ng pwede kong makuha from them. Really grateful and I cherish it every practice.”
#WATCH: REALLY, REALLY EXCITED 🏐
Jen Nierva admits that Creamline’s winning culture was the main factor in her decision to be a Cool Smasher#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/Cfkx68ruPB
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/zLccUookWz
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) January 28, 2026
