Michele Gumabao, Alyssa Valdez and the rest of the Creamline Cool Smashers overcame one of the toughest PVL seasons en route to the historic grand slam.
The 2024 PVL season was nothing short of a grueling battle for the Creamline Cool Smashers.
It all started during the All-Filipino Conference, where the Cool Smashers nearly missed out on making the semifinals. But showing off their grit, Creamline managed to pull through and defend their title.
Alyssa Valdez was the first to admit back then that the 2024 All-Filipino championship was the hardest they’ve needed to overcome, which was later backed by Michele Gumabao.
“I agree with Ly, All-Filipino was really tough for us because there were times na talagang sabi namin, 'Lord, 'di na talaga para samin ito.' Tanggap na namin eh,” Gumabao said during an interview on Starting Lineup.
“It was our first time na baka hindi pumasok ever sa Final Four,” Valdez added.
However, the first conference of the season only provided a glimpse of what would be an even more difficult road to success for the Cool Smashers.
Valdez and fellow MVP Tots Carlos sat out in the Reinforced Conference due to knee injuries as Creamline turned to Michele Gumabao to lead the team in the import-laden tournament.
Not having their superstars was difficult for Creamline, but more so for Gumabao, who turns to Valdez for support.
“Alyssa is always there to give everybody a wake-up call but this time around, I think the hardest part was not having her inside the court,” Gumabao admitted.
“There were times na parang siyempre being one of the oldest inside the court tapos wala pa si Ly, so parang sometimes iba din talaga 'yung mental na coming from sanay ka na papasok ka pag-crucial, double sub and then kailangan babad and the games were sunod-sunod tapos import pa 'yung kalaban namin,” she added.
[ALSO READ: PVL: Michele Gumabao bares how Creamline players stay ready amid absence of stars in Reinforced Conference]
Despite facing setbacks, Gumabao and the rest of the Cool Smashers found a way to take down all the teams that came their way for their second straight title.
“All the challenges all together talaga and malaking factor din na kulang kami sa kapalit. Kitang-kita 'yung difficulty on the part of our coaches but ang ganda rin naman talaga 'yung nagawa namin this whole season,” she bared.
Valdez, who continued to support from the sidelines, acknowledged the emotional rollercoaster. Creamline had less than a day to celebrate their Reinforced Conference title as they needed to prepare as well for the Invitational Conference.
“I remember that night [during celebrations] kasi sabi namin, okay walang masyadong late matutulog,” Valdez recalled.
“I see siyempre medyo na-sad din 'yung mga players kasi iba 'yung champion ng Reinforced and even our reinforcement Erica [Staunton] wanted to celebrate but then again, it was a motivation for everyone to push until the very end,” she added.
Despite the short turnaround, Creamline continued with their grand slam push, giving it all on the court to defeat the Cignal HD Spikers in the Finals to complete their historic run.
For Gumabao, the Invitational Conference championship win against Cignal was particularly emotional.
“I told Ly this—it was the first time in a long time that I cried after a championship. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel it before, but this time, I was just so happy,” said Gumabao, who was named the conference MVP. “That championship, the last championship that we had against Cignal, 'yun talaga 'yung sabi ko grabe 'yung emotions as in dun talaga naiyak ako ulit ng grabe.”
The physical toll of the season was apparent, with the players pushing through aches, pains, and injuries. But what kept them going was the sight of their teammates persevering.
“When you see your teammates fighting through the pain in practice, and then come game time, it’s like the pain isn’t even there—it just pushes you,” said Gumabao.
[ALSO READ: Coolest Queens: Meet the MVPs behind Creamline’s PVL championship dynasty]
For both Valdez and Gumabao, the 2024 PVL season was a testament to their team’s resilience. Despite the struggles, they found strength in each other and in the leadership of their coaches, proving once again why the Cool Smashers are the winningest team in the league.
[NEXT: From rivals to besties: Michele Gumabao and Alyssa Valdez’s friendship is proof of Creamline’s championship-winning culture]