Cignal HD Spikers coach Shaq Delos Santos promised his team will raise its level of play versus the Creamline Cool Smashers.
The HD Spikers did as advertised. Only, the Cool Smashers dug deep themselves and shifted to another gear—like the champions they are.
Pushed to a second five-setter in as many games, Creamline did just enough to fend off Cignal’s spirited challenge, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 24-26, 15-10, in the penultimate game of Saturday’s quadruple header at the PhilSports Arena.
And, like in Creamline’s pulsating five-set win over the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers on Thursday, a certain Alyssa Valdez proved to be the difference-maker as the Cool Smashers again came back from a set down to keep their clean slate in this PVL Invitational Conference still spotless.
Valdez was even more sensational this time around, erupting for 22 points built on 18 attacks, 2 block, and 2 aces, while making all the big plays in the nip-and-tuck fourth and fifth sets. And, for good measure, The Phenom also rose for the match-clinching kill, taking a Jia de Guzman set on the left wing and firing a laser to the opposite side—way out of the reach of any HD Spiker.
With her 22 markers, Valdez just reset her tournament high of 17, which she had previously scored on Thursday in Creamline’s five-set thriller versus F2 Logistics. It also underscores why everyone on the Cool Smashers has absolute faith in the 30-year-old former MVP, who seems to be rounding into her old, fearsome, big-game form after recovering from her knee injury. That is bad news for the rest of the league as an in-form Valdez makes for a fearsome combo with All-Filipino Conference MVP Tots Carlos, who led all Creamline scorers with 27 big points.
Valdez will next stake their unbeaten record on Tuesday against foreign team Kinh-Bac-Bac-Ninh-Women’s at 4 p.m., also at the PhilSports Arena.