After a full season with the Creamline Cool Smashers, Bea De Leon remains in awe of the team’s unwavering commitment to excellence. Despite their already impressive résumés, the Cool Smashers continue to push themselves to new heights—a mindset deeply ingrained in their culture.
Creamline, the most decorated team in the Premier Volleyball League, etched their name in history last season by completing the league’s first-ever grand slam. Yet, amid their dominance, De Leon found herself inspired not just by their success, but by their humility and relentless work ethic.
“Ako actually, relatively bago ako dito so from the outside coming in, hangang hanga ako sa mindset nila kasi kahit ganun na kataas ‘yung naabot nila, the work ethic is still so high,” said De Leon, who joined the powerhouse squad before the 2024 PVL season.
“Ang taas ng disiplina, ang taas lagi ng level ng training and ‘yun, nakaka-motivate din ‘yun on my part na makita. Kasi, despite all the greatness that they’ve already done, still one hundred percent all in (pa rin) as if hindi pa kami nananalo before,” she added.
The Cool Smashers' sustained success stems from a culture of discipline and continuous improvement, a philosophy championed by team captain Alyssa Valdez. Under Valdez’s leadership, the team remains grounded, never allowing complacency to creep in, even as they collect championship after championship.
For De Leon, now 28, the challenge is not just about adapting to this culture but embodying it. She understands that to be a vital cog in Creamline’s system, she must strive for consistency and reliability—qualities that have made the Cool Smashers an unstoppable force.
“Personally, gusto ko lang talaga mag-aim for consistency so I wanted to come to this game with a really good mindset and really focused, syempre with the help of my teammates,” De Leon shared.
“All of us here naman wanted the same thing, lalo na nung up two sets kami we wanted that extra push na ma-finish siya sa tatlo. Talagang with the help of my teammates, anything naman is possible,” she added.
De Leon’s commitment to excellence continues to pay off. Following a gritty 12-point performance in a five-set thriller against Cignal, she delivered another double-digit outing in Creamline’s 25-17, 25-17, 25-21 sweep of Chery Tiggo on Thursday night.
The middle blocker tallied 13 points, delivering eight attacks, three aces, and two blocks. Her efforts helped the Cool Smashers extend their unbeaten run in the all-local tilt to 8-0, while also pushing their overall winning streak to 18 games, dating back to the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
But even with Creamline’s dominant run, De Leon knows the road ahead remains long and challenging. She embraces the grind, determined to contribute more and push herself further to help the team maintain their championship standard.
“Talagang hangang hanga rin ako with that part and I think like what Coach Sherwin (Meneses) said, mahaba pa. Of course, it’s a nice place to be in now pero mahabang mahaba pa ‘yung season, sobrang dami pa naming tatrabahuhin.”
