PHOTO BY MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The Creamline Cool Smashers have long set the usual within the PVL, constructing a dynasty with 10 championships highlighted by the PVL’s historic first Grand Slam in 2024.
But after losing all their crowns last season, it isn’t about Creamline, which kept the identical core since 2021, declining. It’s also concerning the remainder of the league rising to satisfy the Cool Smashers.
On this yr’s All-Filipino Conference round-robin semifinals, the Cool Smashers can be facing all of the squads which have up to now beat them here, battling No.1 seed PLDT, the stacked Cignal squad and semis first-timer Farm Fresh.
“It’s going to be a really interesting semifinals since these teams have already beaten us within the [preliminary and qualifying rounds],” said captain Alyssa Valdez after unleashing 20 points and coming up with 19 excellent digs when the Cool Smashers caught the last bus ride to the semifinals by overcoming Akari, 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-16, last Tuesday at Filoil Centre in San Juan City.
“We actually should work harder and [we have to play] smarter.”
The Cool Smashers kick off the semis round against the High Speed Hitters, who swept them of their first game of the yr, on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Creamline faces Cignal next Tuesday in a grudge match against the team that broke its heart within the qualifying round with a fifth-set collapse, before wrapping up the round on Thursday next week against Farm Fresh, which beat the undermanned Cool Smashers in 4 sets in Santa Rosa last month.
Valdez, a three-time PVL MVP who has been playing within the Sports Vision-organized league after her collegiate profession at Ateneo, marveled on the rise of other clubs, including Farm Fresh, which reached a franchise first after knocking out Nxled, composed of the core of defending champion Petro Gazz.
“The more teams that make it, the stronger the competition becomes, and that makes the conference much more exciting,” said Valdez.
“It’s really good for the league since the semifinals experience helps teams grow,” she said. “We’re excited to see how Farm Fresh and the opposite teams develop.”