Five-peat-seeking Creamline squandered a 2-0 match lead but recovered just in time in a 25-19, 26-24, 23-25, 23-25, 15-9 escape over Cignal to stay unbeaten in seven starts in the 2024-2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Saturday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The Cool Smashers regrouped after a third and fourth-set meltdown and built a five-point lead in the deciding frame behind the stellar performance of Bernadeth Pons to zap the fight out of the HD Spikers and keep their hold of the solo top spot.

“Happy we recovered in the third and fourth sets. Of course, Cignal’s winning (mentality) is there. They are hard to beat,” Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said.

“We all know that coach Shaq (Delos Santos) and his players won’t go down without a fight. I guess the breaks of the game went our way.”

Pons showcased her all-around skills to lead the Cool Smashers in asserting their mastery over the same squad they beat in the championship match of the Invitational Conference.

The 2024 Reinforced Conference Most Valuable Player scored 27 points built on 24 kills including the game-clinching hit, two aces and a kill block while tallying 14 digs to help the Cool Smashers hike their five-set head-to-head record against Cignal to 5-0. 

“I guess it did help that Creamline is used to these games. So, it’s a big advantage for us. Happy we got the win,” Meneses added of the team's 17th straight victory since the Reinforced Conference.   

Tots Carlos added 15 points, Bea De Leon had 12 markers and Jema Galanza scored nine for the Cool Smashers.

The HD Spikers absorbed their second straight defeat and slid to a 5-3 mark.  Cignal lost three of its last four games.

Vanie Gandler got all of her 21 points from kills and added 12 excellent receptions to pace the HD Spikers.

Ishie Lalongisip registered a career-best 19 markers while Jackie Acuna and Roselyn Doria-Aquino finished with 16 and 11 markers, respectively, for Cignal.