It's going to be a very short rest for Creamline as it competes in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup for Women that the country will host at the Philsports Arena from 21 to 29 August.

Prized middle blocker Celine Domingo – the Most Valuable Player of the finals of the recent Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference – will banner the Cool Smashers in their bid to clinch the Asian title against a very strong field that includes world powerhouse China and South Korea.

Domingo will be aided by veterans Alyssa Valdez, Jia de Guzman, Michele Gumabao and Jema Galanza, who will be making a return to the international arena.

Valdez, the heart and soul of this Creamline squad, has been campaigning for the women's team since the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore in 2015 while de Guzman joined the squad in the 18th Asian Games in 2018 and the 30th SEA Games in 2019.

On the same note, Gumabao vied for the national squad in the AVC Asian Senior Women's Championship in 2015 while Galanza is also a veteran of numerous AVC club tourneys.

Domingo, Valdez, de Guzman, Gumabao and Galanza will be backed up by a rock-solid cast of supporters in middle blockers Risa Sato, Pau Soriano and Jeanette Panaga, liberos Kyla Atienza and Ella de Jesus, outside hitter Rose Vargas and Fille Cayetano, setter Kyle Negrito and opposite Tots Carlos – the MVP of the finals of the recent PVL wars.

Sherwin Meneses will serve as head coach with Karlo Santos as assistant coach, Ariel Morado as trainer and Mark Caron as strength and conditioning mentor.

Actually, the distinction of representing the country belongs to the national squad composed of the nucleus of University Athletic Association of the Philippines champion National University.

But when the Lady Bulldogs declined the offer to become last-minute replacements to Covid-hit Shinwa Women's University of Japan in the PVL Invitationals, the PNVF leadership decided to "release" them and award the honor of donning the national colors to the PVL champion.

The Cool Smashers are headed for a grueling battle.