Erica Staunton is back in familiar territory, this time not just donning Creamline’s colors but proudly waving the Philippine flag as she leads the squad in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League.
After helping steer the team to a historic Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference championship and a grand slam triumph last year, the Georgia University alum feels more excited than ever to return to the court with her teammates, especially after watching the squad’s heartbreaking loss in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference finals.
“Yeah, I think I’m just really excited to be able to play with them again. I’ve been here for a couple of weeks, so obviously I was watching their games in the finals, and I was just itching to be able to be on the court with them,” said Staunton.
“So yeah, kinda like what Alyssa said, I’m just really excited to be here playing with Creamline but also representing the Philippines. I think that’s really special. Overall, it’s very surreal and I’m really happy to be back,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
The 24-year-old outside hitter’s eagerness to contribute to Creamline’s cause was in full display on Sunday night as she spearheaded the team to an opening-day, 29-27, 25-20, 25-19 victory over Al Naser at the Philsports Arena.
Staunton tallied a team-high 17 points on 13 attacks, three aces, and one kill block to help the Cool Smashers close in on a quarterfinals spot in Pool A.
The 6-foot-1 winger is one of the three reinforcements Creamline brought in to bolster their AVC Champions League campaign, along with Kazakh middle blocker Anastassiya Kolomoyets and Russian outside hitter Anastasya Kudryashova.
Staunton had nothing but praise for her fellow reinforcements, expressing how seamlessly they’ve integrated into the team’s system. She also emphasized the positive impact of their energy, noting that it has brought a fresh dynamic to the squad and elevated their overall performance.
“Yeah, Nasti, her energy is great. She really makes me laugh. But I think a lot of Creamline’s success has come from just them being able to have fun on the court and just really enjoy playing volleyball,” said Staunton.
“So, I think that them bringing that kind of energy is really helpful, both Ana and Nastia. But, yeah, Nastia has really gotten into it and it’s been awesome to see. But, yeah, I think overall as a whole, just bringing that positive energy is kind of what Creamline’s whole team culture is about.”
#WATCH: Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses, Alyssa Valdez, and Erica Staunton talk about their big win over Al Naser to open their #AVCChampionsLeague run 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times #PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/hRtxgSPWni
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 20, 2025
