Gone are the days when Creamline simply ran over the competition on its way to the crown.
Teams have already caught up, if they haven’t already, with the Cool Smashers, and it’s evident in the ongoing 2024 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Before reaching the finals, Creamline suffered three elimination-round losses to Chery Tiggo, Petro Gazz, and PLDT, heading to the semifinals as the fourth seed with an 8-3 record.
This conference marked the first time the team lost three matches in the preliminaries since the 2018 Open Conference.
The Cool Smashers also dropped their opening game of the round-robin semifinals, losing to sister squad Choco Mucho in five sets.
Despite that setback, Creamline still managed to find its way back to the finals on Sunday night.
(C) Joaqui Flores/PVL
Fresh from a rousing win over Petro Gazz, the reigning champions made quick work of Chery Tiggo, winning 25-16, 25-21, 25-20, becoming the first team to enter the best-of-three finals, where they will defend their Open Conference throne, on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Parang din don kasi pumupunta yung mindset namin araw-araw na champion mindset. Sabi ni coach (Sherwin Meneses), hindi namin kontrolado lahat ng sitwasyon kaya hindi ‘yan magiging perfect o hindi ‘yan laging pabor sa amin,” said Tots Carlos, who finished with a game-high 16 points against the Crossovers.
“Kung may mga pagkakataong hindi pabor sa amin ang sitwasyon, ang magagawa lang naman namin ay labanan ang sitwasyon. Nakakatuwa kapag nananalo kami pero ‘pag hindi kami nananalo, alam namin kung saan kami nagkukulang. Alam namin na ang bawat isa sa amin ay babawi,” she added.
Carlos, a three-time PVL MVP, admitted that the road is indeed getting tougher for the Cool Smashers but bared that it won’t stop them from achieving their ultimate goal.
After all, the bumps and bruises will only make the championship much sweeter in the end.
“So, I think ‘yun ang maganda sa amin, na hindi dahil champion kami noong nakaraang season, ine-expect namin na magiging maganda ang season namin,” said Carlos.
“Sa totoo lang, para sa akin, naging maganda ang season namin dahil kahit na natalo kami, narito pa rin kami sa championship kaya masaya kami sa mga nangyari. ‘Yung proseso na lagi naming sinasabi, ‘yun ang pinakamahalaga, at ang championship ang premyo namin.”
