Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

News

PVL: Creamline delivers in 5, extends finals to winner-take-all


Creamline, the defending champions of the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference, showcased their championship poise and character in a grueling match against Petro Gazz.

The Cool Smashers overcame all their mental hurdles to force a winner-take-all match against the Petro Gazz Angels for the coveted championship crown, taking an 18-25, 25-16, 25-18, 23-25, 15-6 victory before a raucous crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday.

After losing the first set, Creamline bounced back with an impressive 25-16 victory in the second set.

They continued their momentum in the third set. However, Petro Gazz put up a fierce fight in the fourth set and narrowly won 25-23, setting up a dramatic fifth set.

The deciding set was expected to be a riveting, down-to-the-wire battle of nerves, but Creamline broke the 2-2 count with a bewildering eight-point binge, anchored on Michele Gumabao and Tots Carlos.

The Cool Smashers turned what was expected to be a close match into a runaway finish to the delight of the majority of the 9,917 fans in attendance.

“Hindi na skills ang labanan pero nag-respond naman ang team. Maganda ung pinakita sa fifth set, ung puso, champion team yan kaya hindi sila bibigay,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses.

Ced Domingo proved clutch, scoring Creamline’s last three points, including a running attack, a key block of Grethcel Soltones, and a two-handed dump after a Petro Gazz mis-receive that ended the mind-draining duel of power and wits.

Creamline’s playmaker, Jia de Guzman, posted 30 excellent hits and emerged as the best player in a match that produced a lot of heroines for the defending champions.

#ReadMore  UAAP 86 HSVB: UST girls, FEU-D boys book Final Four tickets

“We had so many lapses in Game One and there were a lot of things to be fixed. But all our hard work has paid off,” said De Guzman.

Gumabao (21 points and 14 digs), Carlos (20 points and 22 receptions), Jema Galanza (17 points), and Domingo (14 points) were in their old fiery selves, soaring and firing away stinging kills, while the rest of the team backed them up with gritty floor defense and coverage that kept the Smashers in control.

Despite losing the match, Petro Gazz unleashed its own firepower with Remy Palma firing 16 points, Aiza Pontillas adding 15 points, and Jonah Sabete and MJ Phillips each finishing with 10 points.

However, the Angels failed to stop the Cool Smashers’ fifth-set assault and struggled trying to launch their counter-attack.

Creamline stalled Petro Gazz’s crack at a third PVL glory after nailing two Reinforced Conference titles.

The two-hour and 16-minute victory put Creamline back on track for back-to-back championships in the league’s centerpiece tournament, the former Open Conference, while lining up the Cool Smashers for a sixth PVL championship since joining the league in 2017.

Written By


You May Also Like

News

National University seniors Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon are eagerly looking forward to what lies ahead for the Lady Bulldogs, now that multi-titled coach...

ADMU

National University kicked off its bid for a ‘three-peat’ in the Shakey’s Super League Pre-season Championship with an impressive 25-12, 25-27, 25-16, 25-17 victory...

News

National University-Monolith concluded its 2024 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship campaign in sixth place after falling to Duc Giang Chemical in straight sets, with...

News

National University-Monolith took down reigning Hong Kong Volleyball League champions Kwai Tsing in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22, to kick off its classification phase...

News

National University-Monolith displayed great promise and heart, forcing a fifth set after going down two sets — but ultimately, it was the hometown heroes...

News

National University-Monolith’s promising start fell short after succumbing to reigning Japan V.League champion NEC in straight sets, 24-26, 13-25, 18-25, in Pool B of...

News

National University-Monolith gave newly installed head coach Sherwin Meneses a fitting debut. The Sky Risers took down Saipa Club of Iran in four sets,...

News

Creamline’s heart and soul, Alyssa Valdez, could not help but be emotional after what she had witnessed at the conclusion of the 2024 Premier...

Advertisement