Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima against Creamline Cool Smashers within the AVC Champions League. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Creamline bowed out of the AVC Women’s Champions League quarterfinals after Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima sealed a semifinal matchup against Zhetysu of Kazakhstan with a win on Thursday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The champion Thai team swept the Cool Smashers 25-15, 25-22, 25-16 within the knockout playoffs, advancing closer to the title round riding a 3rd straight win.
READ: AVC: Creamline no answer for ‘very talented, very tall’ Zhetsyu team
“The experience was the perfect ever. I feel like we’re so blessed … I feel like we got here out with fire and energy, and we’re coming for that championship,” Anyse Marleeof Nakhon Ratchasima Smith said after putting up 13 points.
“I feel like our game plan and us with the ability to go to practice and knowing what we wish to return out and do, we established it early and we swept them today.”
The Cool Smashers, the second team from the Philippines to exit after PLDT also crashed out earlier within the day, wrapped up their campaign hoping they might have done higher.
“We’re blissful we got to play within the AVC again even when that was the result. Hopefully, in the subsequent international tournament, we are able to prepare higher, but there are not any excuses—we actually just didn’t make the semifinals. We’re still blissful and this experience is an enormous help for us,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses.
Creamline Cool Smashers’ Bernadeth Pons. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Nakhon Ratchasima had control throughout the match, drawing out a 5-1 rally late within the match to bury Creamline in a 23-14 deficit. The Thais only had a mishap that gave Creamline some extent before Jema Galanza scored.
But Saowapha Soosuk unwrapped an emphatic kill that secured Nakhon Ratchasima’s semifinal slot.
Petro Gazz is the last local team trying to find a semifinal seat because it battles Chinese power Beijing BAIC Motor on Friday at 7 p.m.
Import Anastasiya Kudryashova paced Creamline with nine points, Bernadeth Pons contributed eight and Anastassiya Kolomoyets had seven.
“I’m just really grateful for the chance to play here. Like I said before, that is my first time representing the Philippines in indoor volleyball, and I even got to do it with Creamline,” said Pons, who couldn’t help but get emotional.
“I just really enjoyed every moment I used to be on the court. I’m just very, very grateful,” she added.
Onuma Sittirak and Sasipapron Janthawisut, meanwhile, contributed 12 points apiece for the Thais.
