Unbeaten Creamline continued its dominant run in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, cruising to a commanding 25-12, 25-21, 25-19 victory over winless Nxled at the Philsports Arena on Tuesday.
The win brought the Cool Smashers halfway to a potential sweep of the preliminary round, improving their record to 6-0 while tying the Petro Gazz Angels (6-1) at the top of the standings with 17 points.
Although the defending champions completed the match in one hour and 27 minutes, they faced some tense moments in the third set. Trailing 15-18, Creamline banked on two crucial challenges to swing the momentum in their favor.
A successful net fault challenge cut the deficit to 17-18, and another ball-in/out challenge after Tots Carlos’ long hit tied it at 18. The challenge reversed the call, giving Creamline a 19-18 edge and igniting the defending champions’ decisive 9-0 run.
Bea de Leon then delivered a decisive quick attack, and Alyssa Valdez capped the run with a clinical kill to give Creamline a commanding 24-18 lead. Nxled’s May Luna momentarily delayed the inevitable with a through-the-block hit, but Carlos ended the match with a powerful kill, securing the Cool Smashers’ fourth shutout win in six matches.
“Siguro medyo nag-relax,” said Creamline setter Kyle Negrito about their struggles in the third set. “Pero nagtyaga din kami. At this point in the conference, there’s no room for relaxation.”
Negrito, who finished with 15 excellent sets and three points, earned Best Player of the Game honors for the second consecutive match.
“I’m happy the team was able to recover and get the win,” she added.
Bernadeth Pons and Carlos spearheaded the offense with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Alyssa Valdez contributed seven markers, while Pangs Panaga, Lorie Bernardo, Jema Galanza and de Leon chipped in five points each to highlight Creamline’s balanced attack.
The Cool Smashers demonstrated their firepower, experience and hustle throughout the match. They dominated the first set, breaking away from a tight start at 12-10 with de Leon’s back-to-back quick attacks and Pons’ consistent scoring, eventually cruising to a 25-12 finish.
The second set proved more challenging as Creamline nearly squandered a 19-14 lead. A 7-1 Nxled rally, fueled by Creamline’s tentative and erratic plays, trimmed the gap to 19-20. However, a crucial attack error by Luna stopped Nxled’s momentum, allowing the Cool Smashers to regain control. Clutch plays by Galanza, Michele Gumabao, and Panaga closed out the set, highlighted by Galanza’s perfectly timed off-speed shot that fooled the Chameleons’ defense.
Despite yielding 10 free points in the second frame compared to Nxled’s four, the Cool Smashers maintained their composure and firepower to secure a 2-0 lead.
With this win, Creamline moved halfway to sweeping the preliminary round. If they maintain their momentum and Nxled continued to struggle, they could meet again in the knockout phase under the league’s top-versus-lower seed format.
