Kyle Negrito delivered a big-time performance in her return to the starting unit, steering Creamline into the semifinals of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the expense of Akari on Tuesday night.
Negrito had taken a backseat when Jia De Guzman returned to the lineup following her stint in the SV.League. She saw limited action in the preliminary round but found herself thrust back into the spotlight in their do-or-die play-in match against the Chargers.
Drawing the start in place of De Guzman, Negrito leaned on both experience and trust — trust in the system and in the players around her. There was no need to reinvent anything, only to execute what had long been in place.
She delivered with 23 excellent sets and six points, steering the Cool Smashers — who were coming off a loss to Cignal in the qualifying round — to a 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-16 win over Akari at the Filoil Centre to secure the final semifinals ticket.
“Sinunod ko lang po yung sinabi ni coach. ‘Di na rin naman po bago ‘yung naging game plan namin. Na-experience ko na rin po ‘yung mga ganyang do-or-die na big games,” said Negrito, who played a key role in the team’s Grand Slam bid two years ago.
“Yun nga po, nag-work yung game plan and confident po ako kasi alam ko na tutulungan ako ng mga teammates ko.”
(C) PVL Images
For head coach Sherwin Meneses, having both Negrito and De Guzman at his disposal gives Creamline a unique edge. Both allow the team to change looks and keep opponents guessing depending on the situation.
He also lauded Negrito for staying ready and stepping up when called upon, noting that the chemistry she built with the team during De Guzman’s absence proved to be a key factor in their victory.
“Siyempre, masaya. Nagawa niya ’yung role niya. Dalawa naman sila ni Jia, talagang nagtatrabaho nang husto, pero siyempre minsan may gamble na nangyayari. Yung chemistry ng team, talagang nandiyan na kay Kyle. Pero depende naman sa situation — pwedeng si Jia, pwedeng si Kyle every game,” said Meneses.
“So ’yun naman yung strength ng Creamline. Di natin alam kung sino magsa-start ngayon, next game si Jia o si Kyle. Basta magtrabaho lang kami, gawin namin ng tama at maging masaya sa bawat isa. Ganun lang naman ’yun.”
The Cool Smashers will kick off their semifinals campaign on Saturday against top-seeded PLDT, with Meneses saying they will determine the starting setter based on their preparation and the match-up.
“Actually, nandoon na tayo kasi siyempre as expected ng kalaban, si Jia magsa-start. Almost the same lang naman. Ang advantage ni Kyle, mas matagal siya ngayon na nakasama yung mga nasa loob. Pero siyempre Jia is Jia — nandoon palagi para tumulong sa amin,” said Meneses.
“Siguro nagkataon lang na si Kyle yung nauna, pero hindi natin alam sa mga susunod na games, so let’s see.”
#WATCH: BIG GAME EXPERIENCE 🏐
Facing a do-or-die situation, Kyle Negrito said she remained unperturbed, having experienced bigger games when Jia De Guzman was away#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/aNrNCW5gDX
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2026 pic.twitter.com/MWVEwfk6AI
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 7, 2026
