Cool Smashers post fifth straight win

Creamline’s winning heritage showed when everything was on the line Saturday as it scored a 25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-10 win over Nxled to snatch solo second place in the chase for the Qualifying Round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Creamline dominated the opener but slowed down in the next frame before regaining control in the third.

Yet, the resilient Chameleons refused to fade, forcing a decider after taking the fourth set in emphatic fashion in what became the conference’s ninth match to go the distance before a packed weekend crowd at the FilOil Playtime Centre.

But when the pressure peaked, the Cool Smashers’ vast experience in high-stakes moments proved decisive, even in their first five-set match in the tournament.

Leaning on the composure forged by a championship tradition that includes 10 titles, Creamline steadied itself in the fifth set to pull away and extend its winning streak to five games after an opening game fall, tightening its grip on one of the coveted Top Four berths heading into the post-elimination phase.

Idle Cignal still leads the race with a 5-2 card worth 16 points.

For Nxled, however, the loss underscored a growing concern.

After sweeping their first three matches, the Chameleons absorbed their fourth straight defeat, their inability to sustain adjustments in crucial stretches continuing to haunt a team that entered the conference with lofty expectations.

The squad generated buzz during the offseason after assembling a star-studded core from the championship-winning Petro Gazz Angels.

Yet as opponents begin to expose gaps in their otherwise talent-laden roster, the Chameleons found themselves struggling to keep pace in the race for the coveted Top Four, a position they had firmly targeted at the start of the campaign.