Creamline completed an impressive 11-game sweep of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference elims, shaking off a first-set slip with an overwhelming offensive display in the next three to log a 19-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-13 victory over Galeries at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Tuesday night.
The Cool Smashers re-calibrated after initially getting outplayed by the Highrisers, surging to commanding leads from the second set onward. The one-hour, 45-minute triumph not only formalized the defending champions’ claim on the top spot but also propelled them confidently into the Final Four.
“We expect to play better in the semis, patayan na ‘to,” said Jema Galanza, who spearheaded the Cool Smashers’ unbeaten run with 11 attack points for a 12-point showing.
As No. 1, Creamline faces No. 4 Chery Tiggo at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) while Choco Mucho and Cignal, which finished Nos. 2 and 3 in the elims, will dispute the other finals berth in a pair of best-of-three series.
Throughout their streak, Creamline conceded just seven sets in 11 matches, spiked by five shutout victories. The Cool Smashers faced their most challenging test against the Petro Gazz Angels, rallying from 1-2 set down to snatch a thrilling 25-22, 23-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-13 victory last Nov. 9.
Looking ahead to the semifinals, the Cool Smashers acknowledged that the Final Four poses new challenges, especially with the Crossovers eager to prove themselves against the crowd favorites.
“Congrats sa players pero yung goal namin is mas mataas pa sa elims. Sa Thursday (tomorrow), mas tatrabahuhin pa namin ng husto,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses.
Creamline is out to match its rare feat in the 2019 Open Conference which it swept from the elims to the finals.
Equally interesting is the Flying Titans-HD Spikers duel with the former also riding a wave of momentum from a 10-game streak and the latter vowing to be at their best for the semis grind.
