Their preparation is next level stuff.
The Creamline Cool Smashers continued their dominance in the PVL All-Filipino Conference as they defeated the Akari Power Chargers in four sets inside the jam-packed San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City on Tuesday. The win secured the number one seed for the Cool Smashers, who have been terrific all throughout the tournament despite the absence of their injured star player Alyssa Valdez.
Perhaps the secret behind their success lies in the team’s mental preparation going into each and every game. The out-of-town match against Akari wasn’t any different. According to Creamline’s star setter Jia De Guzman, the entire team was fully aware of the different conditions they’ll be playing under before landing in the Panay Island.
“Even before getting to Iloilo, we knew that there’s a chance na walang challenge system. We’re playing in a venue na walang air condition [and] a lot of people will be watching. ‘Yung mga ‘yun nasa mindset na namin na hindi namin mako-control,” de Guzman said during a postgame interview with One Sports.
The elite squad that they are, the Cool Smashers knew exactly how to approach the situation. Their main thing was to focus on the things that would help them get the W.
“What we can control is how we move inside the court, every time na pumunta sa court namin ‘yung bola, anong gagawin namin to better it,” the former Ateneo Blue Eagle further explained.
Creamline is stacked in terms of talent. But what makes this club a cut above the rest is the mental toughness of its players, which apparently stems from them being battle-ready against any opponent, wherever the location is.
The next time we’ll see the Cool Smashers in action will be in the semis of the All-Filipino tourney, where they’ll be joined by the Petro Gazz Angels, the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, and the PLDT High Speed Hitters.