Creamline rocks!!!
Just when everyone thought that the Creamline Cool Smashers were at their most vulnerable, they rise to the challenge to become the first-ever league Grand Slam champs in Philippine women’s volleyball. And take the singular honor of becoming a 10-time Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) champion, all in a span of a week!
The Cool Smashers showed devastating form despite the absence of its top stars in outlasting a determined, but luckless Cignal HD Spikers 21-25, 25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13, to clinch this year’s Invitational Conference at Smart Araneta Coliseum recently. Prior to this thrilling come-from-behind win, the Cool Smashers had annexed the All-Filipino Conference early this year, and the Reinforced Championship last month.
Creamline, owned by the Rebisco food company, displayed its great depth and experience, bucking the absence of crowd favorites Alyssa Valdez (injury), Jia Morado de Guzman (Japan import) Tots Carlos (injury) and Jema Galanza (national team duty) in capturing the grand slam in style. For the record, Alyssa and Tots were both 3-time MVPs, Jema was the 1st Conference MVP, and Jia was a consistent Finals MVP and Best Setter in previous Creamline forays. With these top 4 stars absent from the playing court, volleyball pundits were unanimous in saying that the depleted Creamline team would be at a great disadvantage.
But as the late great coach Rudy Tomjanovich said, “never underestimate the heart of a champion”. The Cool Smashers weathered this storm, and showed the world they could thrive with a no-panic ‘next (wo)man up’ mentality. And taking over with brilliant contributions throughout the tourney were outside hitter Bernadette Pons, opposite hitter Michelle Gumabao, libero Kyla Atienza and setter Kyle Negrito.
Pons became the Reinforced Championship’s MVP; Gumabao took the Invitational Conference MVP; Negrito took the Invitational Finals MVP and Best setter in the last 2 tourneys; to once again dominate the conference individual awards. Pons’ and Gumabao’s outstanding games showed the league that they were definitely not just an Alyssa-Tots-Jema offensive line, as they – along with their import Erika Staunton – refused to allow the Creamline offense to sputter.
Negrito had even much bigger shoes to fill, coming in for the great Jia De Guzman, who would move on to be the calming captain of the Philippine ‘Alas’ women’s volleyball team. Negrito’s patience paid off nonetheless, as she showed great fortitude and experience in annexing the same awards that Jia normally dominated previously.
Atienza, for her part, ably took charge of the defense, with exceptional digs and excellent receptions that turned into instant offense for her team. An understudy of that veteran ace libero, Denden Revilla, Atienza has most certainly carved out a name for herself as the team’s top libero today.
And to emphasize that their winning ways were not about their stars but about their team chemistry and system, the Cool Smashers also got plenty of help from the rest of the team. Apart from the heads-up play of Pons and her new cohorts, Bea de Leon, a recent transferee from rival Choco Mucho Flying Titans, played outstanding net defense. So with Jeanette Panaga and Risa Sato. This was not a team that depended on its stars. Rather, this was a team that thrived on the system created by coach Sherwin Meneses.
And then, as epic cowboy movies would have it, the reinforcing cavalry would come in right in the nick of time. This came in the person of Jema Galanza, who rejoined the visibly exhausted team from a successful stint with the national team. She would re-enter the competition in the last game of the prelims. Jema’s presence was a big boost for the beleaguered Cool Smashers. She would provide the added firepower in the offense, while bolstering the defense as well. Her timely contributions would lead the team back to the Finals, and ultimately, win the championship.
Indeed, if there is one lesson to be learned from Creamline’s come-from-behind win here, it is that in any team game, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. The Cool Smashers may have had a roster of individual talents, but when the going got tough, when the name players were not available, there were others who were willing to step up; showing that the team works best when they play together, and not as individual members. With coach Sherwin’s masterful guidance, plus the Revisco management’s outstanding support, this team’s morale has gone sky-high. This team will certainly move to even greater heights.
To the Creamline Cool Smashers, kudos for a job well done. Not only have you shown talent and experience, you have displayed true grit and dedication to the sport. With this amazing feat, you have etched yourselves indelibly in our sports history books.
Cover photo courtesy of One Sports. Other photos courtesy of GMA network, Inquirer.Net, ABS-CBN News, PVL. For a closer look, just click on the pic.
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