Ahead of their AVC Champions League campaign, Creamline imports Erica Staunton, Anastassiya Kolomoyets, and Anastasiya Kudryashova got a fun taste of Filipino culture by sampling local favorites.
Before they suit up for the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League, Creamline’s newest imports took on a different kind of challenge — sampling some classic Filipino favorites.
In a video posted by Michele Gumabao on her social media page, American spiker Erica Staunton, Kazakh middle blocker Anastassiya Kolomoyets, and Russian outside hitter Anastasiya Kudryashova were introduced to several Pinoy dishes during the Cool Smashers’ get-together.
First on the plate was the famous mangga with bagoong, a sweet-sour-salty combo that had the trio curious and a little surprised — but more than willing to dive in for another bite.
Among them, it was Staunton, who is no stranger to Filipino food, that seemingly enjoyed it the most.
Next came sinigang, the beloved sour tamarind soup that’s a comfort food staple in Filipino homes.
It didn’t take long before the imports were slurping away, with Lorie Bernardo even reenacting her first spoonful at the end of the video and flashing a smile: “It’s good.”
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Also on the menu were singkamas with bagoong for a crunchy, savory twist, and even kambing (goat meat), which drew some positive response from Kolomoyets and Kudryashova.
While Creamline is getting ready to test their skills against some of Asia’s best clubs, this lighthearted tasting session proved they’re already embracing the local culture, one dish at a time.
Filipino food might just be their secret weapon for feeling right at home as they take on the AVC stage.