After struggling in their previous match against F2 Logistics, Michele Gumabao stepped up and delivered crucial hits in Creamline’s Game One victory over the Cargo Movers in the semifinals of the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Gumabao had previously committed crucial errors in their five-set loss to F2 Logistics in the elimination round. Now, she finished with 20 big points, including three of the Cool Smashers’ last six points in the 26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15 win at the Philsports Arena on Saturday night.
The 30-year-old opposite spiker from La Salle said that she badly wanted to bounce back from that game. Back then, she finished with 14 points but failed to deliver in crunch time as the Cargo Movers crawled back from a 1-2 deficit to steal the game.
“Syempre kailangan kong makabawi from that previous game. ‘Wag na nating pag-usapan, pero yung last game na yun sobrang laki ng impact nun sa akin, and gusto ko talagang makabawi for my teammates. At yun, talagang bawi lang talaga yung nasa mindset ko kanina,” said the California-born blocker after Creamline scored its first win over F2 Logistics.
“Medyo shaky start pero ayun, nandoon din naman yung tiwala ng teammates and ng coaches, malaking bagay din for me na hindi sila nawawalan ng tiwala, so kailangan lang talaga try and try until you succeed.”
However, despite the win, Gumabao said that the team still needs to work on their errors ahead of Game Two. The Cool Smashers finished with a total of 29 errors in the game compared to the Cargo Movers’ 22.
Creamline relied on its attacking, tallying a total of 69, while F2 Logistics was held to just 38 in the four-set contest, which lasted for two hours and 20 minutes.
“Better late than never, buti na lang dito sa semis napanalo namin, pero lagi namang sinasabi sa amin ng coach na hindi talaga yung kalaban namin yung kailangan naming problemahin,” the V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference Finals MVP said.
“Kami talaga at lumalabas pa rin talaga yung lapses sa aming errors na tina-try talaga namin ma-overcome. Nakukuha naman, pero nandoon pa rin talaga so that’s what we have to work on talaga sa practice namin before our next game.”
