MANILA — Creamline moved to the brink of another Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference crown after a commanding 25-22, 25-18, 25-16 sweep of Cignal in Game 1 of the finals on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Cool Smashers imposed their championship pedigree from the outset, controlling the tempo and dismantling the Super Spikers in just one hour and 31 minutes to seize a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three title series.
Creamline weathered early resistance in the first two sets before pulling away in crunch time, then tightened its grip in the third frame to complete a dominant straight-sets victory.
Jema Galanza powered the Cool Smashers with 17 points and 13 excellent receptions in a standout all-around performance.
“This game was very important for us. We were really eager to win, and hopefully we can finish it in Game 2. We’ve already put the semifinals behind us. We told ourselves that this is the game that truly matters for us,” Galanza said.
“Preparation was not easy. We studied Cignal carefully, did our scouting, watched videos, and coach Sherwin Meneses constantly reminded us to be patient. If we needed to extend a rally for a full minute, we had to be that disciplined,” she added.
Negrense Bernadette Pons chipped in 11 points, while Diana Carlos contributed nine markers. Middle blockers Bea de Leon and Jeanette Panaga added seven and five points, respectively, to anchor the net defense.
Setter Julia Morado-de Guzman steered Creamline’s offense with 22 excellent sets, outdueling Cignal playmaker Gel Cayuna, who finished with 14.
Vanessa Gandler led the Super Spikers with 17 points, with Erika Santos adding 10, but Cignal struggled to find consistent support as the rest of the squad combined for limited production.
With the victory, Creamline is now just one win away from securing its 11th All-Filipino Conference title, with Game 2 set today as the Cool Smashers attempt to complete the series sweep./PN
