Creamline is one win away from the championship and completing a perfect run in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference.
The defending champions Cool Smashers displayed nerves of steel to scrape past the challenge posed by the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22.
They now move on the cusp of sweeping the season-ending conference of the PVL on Thursday evening at the jam-packed SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Creamline, winner of 14 consecutive matches, will seek its third-straight AFC crown on Saturday, 6:00 PM, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Cool Smashers are also looking to earn their third conference sweep, following their perfect 2019 Open and 2022 Open.
“Yung game ngayon talagang team effort talaga so happy ako kasi lahat ng situation na nangyari ngayon, nagawan namin ng paraan. Yung Choco Mucho talagang hindi rin talaga magpapatalo ‘yan kasi kita niyo naman, sa haba ng conference sila yung nakapasok. Mainit talaga sila sa ngayong conference,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses as his team improved to 10-0 overall against Choco Mucho.
The Flying Titans led by as much as five midway through the third frame but the Cool Smashers chipped away, highlighted by Alyssa Valdez’s four straight points to push her side at set point, 24-23.
Deanna Wong forced a deuce after blocking Jema Galanza before Risa Sato denied Sisi Rondina to give Creamline the set point anew, 25-24.
Galanza then got her revenge as her spike grazed the fingers of Wong to put the Cool Smashers a set away from the win.
Then it was Choco Mucho that inched to within two in the fourth after an attack error by Bernadeth Pons, 20-22.
However, Creamline answered back with a Michele Gumabao off-the-block hit coupled with an error by Kat Tolentino to reach match point, 24-20.
The Flying Titans stayed alive, thanks to a service error by Jeanette Panaga followed by a Maddie Madayag dump off an over-received ball, 22-24.
But Pons finished the match with a push hit, 25-22.
The Cool Smashers has a balanced offense as Galanza and Tots Carlos provided 16 points apiece. Panaga added 13, while Valdez and Gumabao contributed 11 apiece.
Galanza also shone defensively with 13 digs and eight receptions, while Valdez had 11 digs and eight receptions as well.
“Sobrang dami nang pinagdaanan ng team. Di namin din ineexpect na aabot din kami sa ganto so ayaw lang din namin na masayang yung lahat ng pinagpaguran namin and lahat din ng nagstep up sa team so talagang ilalaban namin to hanggang dulo,” said Galanza.
Madayag paced the Flying Titans with 18 points on 11 attacks and seven blocks. Sisi Rondina supplied 17 points along with 19 excellent receptions, while Kat Tolentino also chimed in 16 points.
Choco Mucho also benefited from Creamline’s 27 errors compared to their 15.
