It turns out, Creamline really is inevitable.
The Creamline Cool Smashers are champions, again.
The most successful team in PVL history overcame the very game Petro Gazz Angels on Thursday’s winner-take-all Game 3 in the All-Filipino finals, coming back from a set down to win the decider, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15, in front of a raucous crowd of over 12,000 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With the victory, Creamline underscored its dominance in women’s volleyball, adding a fourth All-Filipino title to its growing legend—and sixth overall since the PVL’s inception in 2018.
And, as they did in their Game 2 comeback, the Cool Smashers drew strength once more from that Creamline family, with everyone from Jia de Guzman to Tots Carlos to Michele Gumabao and even Risa Sato contributing to the cause.
Immediately after the game, Gumabao made sure to emphasize that very same point once more, this time with the Cool Smashers as champions.
“Everybody was looking at Creamline kasi kami ‘yung hindi nagpalit ng lineup,” Gumabao said in the post-game interview. “But it’s a testament na ito pa rin talaga ‘yung team and family namin.”
Of course, a big part of that family is the still-injured Alyssa Valdez, the unquestioned leader of the Cool Smashers. And, like family, newly-minted PVL Premier Team members Jema Galanza and Jia de Guzman made sure to shout out The Phenom.
“Itong game namin talaga is for the fans and, of course, kay Ate Ly na sobrang miss na namin kasama sa loob ng court,” said Galanza, who topscored for Creamline with 23 big points.
De Guzman, who was named Finals MVP, dedicated the win to Valdez as well while also crediting the Sherwin Meneses-led coaching staff for helping the Cool Smashers level up their game sans their heart and soul.
The Cool Smashers leveled up their game, all right. And now, they are champions once more.
(With reports from Mei-Lin Lozada, One Sports Digital)