Creamline ramps up Siklab buildup

Powerhouse Creamline has left no stone unturned in its championship bid in the three-series Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Season 10 All-Filipino Conference.

Motivated to bounce back from a heartbreaking campaign in the season-opening Invitational Conference, the reigning champions made good use of the lull in hostilities to prepare for the long and more exciting format of the AFC.

“Well, it was, I think, an interesting preparation for all of us. For the first time, also, we went to Japan to polish our system, our skills. So, we’re very, very excited to apply what we’ve learned,” Cool Smashers team captain Alyssa Valdez said.

Creamline, an 11-time champion club, opens its Siklab — the first of three AFC competition series — campaign on Saturday against Akari at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena.

Game time is set at 6 p.m.

The Cool Smashers ended a four-conference title drought by capturing last season’s AFC crown at the expense of the now-defunct Cignal.

Creamline then tapped 6-foot-5 middle blocker Jaja Santiago-Minowa to reinforce its roster in the Invitationals but missed the podium despite being the favorite to win it all.

“It wasn’t, maybe, a smooth-sailing one because of what happened from the last conference,” Valdez said.

“Of course, we’ll be carrying the lessons of that experience, but hopefully it will be a great motivation for all of us to be better at this coming conference,” she added.

For the three-time Most Valuable Player, the Cool Smashers’ gut-wrenching Invitationals experience lit a fire from under them.