SMASH HIT: Creamline rips Chery Tiggo for 18th straight win

Creamline continued its dominant run in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, sweeping Chery Tiggo, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21, in a commanding performance Thursday at the Philsports Arena.

Bea de Leon led the Cool Smashers with 13 points, highlighted by eight attacks, two blocks, and three aces, earning her player of the game honors and giving the Cool Smashers their 18th straight win stretching back to the 2024 Reinforced Conference and the top spot in the leaderboard.

It was also Creamline’s eighth consecutive victory in the conference and De Leon could not help but deflect credit and instead rave about his teammates’ help.

“It was a team effort. Everybody contributed to executing our plays,” said De Leon, who also credited head coach Sherwin Meneses for emphasizing solid execution.

“Coach stressed good execution, and everything else followed,” she added.

The Cool Smashers pulled away early in the first two sets, but faced resistance in the third, with the Crossovers tying the frame at 19-all.

Creamline, however, showcased its championship composure, unleashing a 6-2 run to close out the match. Jema Galanza delivered a crucial down-the-line hit, followed by key contributions from Pangs Panaga and Tots Carlos before Alyssa Valdez sealed the victory with a mighty kill.

Chery Tiggo attempted to challenge Valdez’s final point, citing a net fault, but the video review confirmed the hit was clean, leaving Crossovers coach Norman Domingo aplogizing to Meneses for delaying Creamline’s celebration.

Creamline’s offense was well-distributed across the board. Galanza contributed nine points, while Carlos and Michele Gumabao added eight each.

Valdez finished with seven points, while Bernadeth Pons, who previously exploded for 27 points against Cignal, had a quiet outing with five points after playing only in the opening set.

On the other side, Victonara Galang led Chery Tiggo with 14 points from 12 kills and two blocks, but the Crossovers struggled to find additional firepower. Pauline Gaston, Princess Robles and Julia Samonte managed just five points each, exposing the team’s lack of offensive support.

Creamline’s offense proved too much for Chery Tiggo, as the Cool Smashers outgunned their opponents 47-33 in attacks and recorded six service aces compared to the Crossovers’ one.

Creamline’s 8-0 overtook Petro Gazz’s 7-1 in the race for the top seed, while Chery Tiggo slipped to eighth in the 12-team standings with a 5-5 record.

The Cool Smashers are now just three wins away from sweeping the ranking phase of the six-month-long conference.

Creamline looks to maintain its momentum as it inches closer to the playoffs, while Chery Tiggo will need to regroup and find consistency to stay in contention.