All-Filipino Conference champion once more. 15-0 sweep. No Jia De Guzman and Ced Domingo.
This 2023 Premier Volleyball League 2nd AFC crown was just a testament to how the system is the real backbone of the greatness displayed by Creamline throughout the years.
Questions and doubts were all over when De Guzman and Domingo left the Cool Smashers to pursue playing abroad.
But head coach Sherwin Meneses never had questions and doubts about his team.
“Di ko nga ma-gets yung sinasabi nilang malalim yung bench namin lalo na nung last conference, mga previous conferences, yun din naman yung naglaro so plus two (lang),” said Meneses, noting it’s the same roster with Mafe Galanza and Bea Bonafe as the only additions.
Although he admitted that having De Guzman and Domingo made the team deeper, Meneses passed the credit to the “others” who took the job head-on of filling the shoes left by the setter-middle duo.
Kyle Negrito became Creamline’s main setter while Risa Sato mostly took over the other middle blocker position along with Jeanette Panaga.
Not to be forgotten were the bench players who were always ready when their numbers were called. Pau Soriano, Rose Vargas, and Lorie Bernardo had memorable games among others.
“Last conference talaga mas malalim kasi same lineup plus two so yun yung point namin, kahit na mayroong nawala may mag-step up naman kasi syempre gusto ng mga players talaga manalo. Yun yung talagang maganda sa Creamline,” said Meneses, now a four-time PVL champion, surpassing Tai Bundit’s three titles with the team.
“Every training, napaka competitive kahit sila sila lang parang naggi-game sila everyday so masaya ako sa ganoong sitwasyon.”
