It’s going to be an uphill climb when Creamline battles a red-hot Petro Gazz side in the best-of-three finals series of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference starting Tuesday.

Cool Smashers veteran Alyssa Valdez said the Angels will definitely not go down without putting up a fight so they have to be at their best from start to finish if they want to retain the title of this prestigious women’s club league.

The first time these two squads met in the finals was in the Reinforced Conference in 2019 with Petro Gazz gaining the upper hand due to the superiority of its imports — Cuban standout Wilma Salas and American reinforcement Janissa Johnson.

But the Cool Smashers bounced back in the Open Conference that same year when they swept the Angels behind the heroics of Valdez and Jema Galanza.

They met again in the finals of the All-Filipino Conference in 2023 and the Cool Smashers reasserted their dominance anew, proving that they are a solid force to be reckoned with in the local club circuit.

But Valdez asserted that everything is now a thing of the past.

Bannered by Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo, Petro Gazz had stepped on the gas as it swept the semifinals in emphatic fashion.

Their previous game — a 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Akari — turned into an ultimate display of firepower with Pablo and Van Sickle combining for 30 points to send a strong message that they are determined to win the title.

“I remember when we faced them back in Ynares during the 2019 Reinforced Conference finals. Both of their wing spikers, (Janisa) Johnson and (Wilma) Salas, were very tough,” Valdez said after leading the Cool Smashers to the finals following a 25-19, 25-15, 25-15 win over Choco Mucho late Thursday.

“This conference, I think Petro Gazz is a well-rounded squad — not just in the wings with (Brooke) Van Sickle, but also with (Jonah) Sabete, MJ Phillips, and a deep bench. They’re also healthy.”

Valdez said they have to dig deep into their well of experience if they want to stand a chance against a healthy, confident and very powerful Petro Gazz squad.

“If we look at the finals, one of the biggest advantages for both teams, since we are veteran squads, will be which team stays the healthiest and fittest throughout the games,” said Valdez, who is expected to draw support from fellow veterans like Tots Carlos, Bernadeth Pons and Pangs Panaga.

Still, it will all boil down to hunger.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a new team or a veteran squad in the PVL,” she said.

“Whoever wants it more, whoever plays with heart, and whoever fights harder will make it to the finish line — the title.”