Creamline crushes young Thais

Fresh from winning a championship, Creamline showed no mercy in dismantling EST Cola of Thailand 25-13, 25-12, 25-15, on Friday at the start of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational 2024 at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

Playmaker Kyle Negrito continued her stellar play, distributing 15 excellent sets to preside over the team’s fluid offense.

Her performance came just a couple of days after the Cool Smashers won the PVL Reinforced Conference by crushing Akari in straight sets and in just 60 minutes.

“It feels like we’re not done yet,” Negrito said in Filipino, reflecting on the team’s solid start as it eyes a grand slam season after falling short in 2022.

The victory also primed up the crowd favorites against the unbeaten defending champion Kurashiki Ablaze when action shifts to the SM Mall of Asia Arena Sunday.

Michele Gumabao, a key player in Creamline’s record-setting ninth championship run, posted a strong performance with 14 points and eight excellent digs, leading the team to a resounding victory in just 72 minutes.

Bernadeth Pons, who has risen to Most Valuable Player-caliber status in the absence of some key Creamline players, continued her remarkable form.

After running awau with the Conference and Finals MVP awards, Pons backed Gumabao with 10 points.

“Our mindset is to forget the previous conference, that’s behind us now,” said Pons in Filipino. “This is a new conference, so we need to focus and work even harder.”

Negrito echoed Pons’ sentiments, adding: “Our goal from the start has been to go all the way in the Invitational, so we really have to put in the effort.”

Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses was satisfied with the squad’s performance but stressed that the players could still play much better.

“We’re happy with how we played, even without much training. But we’ll be back in training tomorrow (Saturday), and hopefully, we can maintain this level of play throughout the conference,” he said.

The win also put in motion the team’s grand slam quest.

“Our top priority is training tomorrow, and we’re taking it one game at a time. It won’t be an easy road ahead, just like in the 2022 Reinforced Conference. For now, our focus is on training,” said Meneses. “We’re preparing ourselves for the challenge that Kurashiki will bring.”

Erica Staunton and Bea de Leon added eight and seven points, respectively, while Pangs Panaga and Lorie Bernardo contributed six and five points, respectively, and Risa Sato and Negrito matched four-point outputs.

The Cool Smashers’ dominance was all over the court.

Creamline’s veteran squad completely outclassed their youthful opponents, whose core consists of Thailand’s under-20 team.

Creamline registered 47 spikes compared to EST Cola’s 24, showcasing its superior firepower.

The Cool Smashers’ defense at the net also glowed, doubling the Thais’ block output with an 8-4 advantage, while capitalizing on their opponent’s shaky reception to score five aces. The Cool Smashers committed 10 errors but gained 15 points from their rivals’ unforced mistakes.