Erica Staunton has proven to be the perfect fit for the Creamline Cool Smashers, leading them to the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference Finals and silencing earlier doubts with her strong performances.
The Creamline Cool Smashers have struggled in the past to find the right import for the Reinforced Conference.
But this time, Creamline seemingly found the perfect fit for its system in Erica Staunton.
The 23-year-old American spiker came into the Philippine volleyball scene fresh off her first pro stint in Finland with the Oriveden Ponnistus.
And while there were questions on whether she could lead the Cool Smashers to victory, especially with Creamline superstars Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza all out of the lineup, Staunton made sure to remove all doubts on her capabilities as the conference went on.
Looking back on her first day with the Cool Smashers, Staunton, who fired 38 big points in their nail-biting semifinals win over the Cignal HD Spikers, couldn’t help but be proud of how far she and her teammates have come as they now move just one win away from bagging the Reinforced Conference crown.
“I think I've come a long way with my team, especially thinking back to the first day. I've gotten a lot closer with all of them. We get along so well, so I'm so happy to still be playing with them,” Staunton told One Sports.
“Winning that semifinal game, I was ecstatic because I simply wasn't ready to leave them. I think overall, we just got along really well. I trust them, I look to them for guidance for on the court, off the court just all around. I love my teammates so much,” she added.
Staunton and the Cool Smashers experienced many ups and downs throughout the conference, notably their opening-day loss against the PLDT High Speed Hitters.
[ALSO READ: PVL: Creamline import Erica Staunton points out areas for improvement after Reinforced Conference debut]
But since then, the American outside hitter has only continued to grow as a player and teammate, accepting coach Sherwin Meneses’ system.
“I'd say, I think we found our groove after that first game. And we were just able to figure out how to work together,” said Staunton. “And I think what makes Creamline special is, you know, we're not focused on one person. We're not just one person, offensive heavy.”
“Kyle [Negrito] does a great job of distributing the ball. So, I think that all of our hitters are threats. And that's something that puts a lot of pressure on the other teams,” she continued.
“I think we focused on just the simple balls, getting Kyle a good pass so that she can get our middles involved, run the offense pin to pin, and yeah, just making sure that we have all of our hitters involved in our offense. I think that's a big change from the first loss to today.”
[ALSO READ: PVL: Erica Staunton embraces Creamline’s motto on handling pressure ahead of Reinforced Conference]
As they move on to face the undefeated Akari Chargers in the Finals, Staunton is looking to put in one more incredible performance to deliver Creamline’s 9th PVL title.
The Reinforced Conference Finals will be held on Monday, September 2, at 6:00 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.