Defending champion Creamline took the first bus ride to the championship round after sweeping Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh of Vietnam, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17, in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference semifinals yesterday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Skipper Alyssa Valdez served as the closer in the tightly-contested first two sets before the still unscathed Cool Smashers pulled away in the middle of the third frame for their second straight finals appearance and ninth championship stint overall.

Creamline improved to a 4-0 win-loss carryover record and remained unbeaten after seven outings in the mid-season tournament.

"We're thankful to our players for responding well to what we want them to do. Maybe that's the reason why we're back in the finals," Cool Smashers coach Sherwin Meneses said.

"Of course, all teams want to be named champion, so our goal is far from over. We still have two more games. Hopefully, we'll win the title."

The Cool Smashers wrap up their semifinals campaign on Friday against Japanese squad Kurashiki Ablaze on Friday as they prime up for the winner-take-all gold medal match scheduled on Sunday.

Reigning Most Valuable Player Tots Carlos paced Creamline with 16 points including 14 off attacks. Valdez formalized her return to the finals after missing the Cool Smashers' All-Filipino Conference title run due to a right knee injury by dropping 11 markers — all off attacks — and added 11 excellent receptions.

Valdez put the first two frames away with set-clinching spikes to quell Vietnam's late scares.

"A win is a win. We really needed this win for us to be able to be back in the finals. We're grateful we won," Valdez said.

"The Vietnam team, they may be young, have a combination of young and veteran players, but they really played disciplined volleyball so we really had a hard time scoring. But we're very grateful, so it's another motivation for us to keep working hard for the finals."

Jema Galanza, on the other hand, delivered 10 markers and 10 digs in the Cool Smashers' one-hour and 46-minute victory.

Ced Domingo got eight points including the match-winning kill block while Jeanette Panaga and Michele Gumabao had seven points each for the Cool Smashers.

Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh, who lost skipper Nguyen Oanh early in the third set due to an apparent left knee injury, absorbed its third loss in as many games.

Oanh hurt her knee after a bad landing following a successful off-the-block attack with Vietnam trailing, 3-4.

Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh gave Creamline a scare in the second set when it erased an 11-19 deficit to tie at 22 after a kill block by Oanh on Panaga.

Creamline regained the lead and moved at set point, 24-22, before Le Xuan scored a hit.

Valdez finished off the set with a kill for a 2-0 match lead.

The Cool Smashers ignited a closing 5-0 barrage to turn back Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh in the third.

Nguyen Huong had 19 points, Xuan had 10 while Oanh got eight before her unfortunate exit for the Vietnamese, who will face Cignal on Thursday.