Bench depth makes Creamline unbeatable

Creamline’s depth is putting pressure on the rest of the field as the defending champion thrives under the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Season 10 All-Filipino Conference Siklab series’ all-to-play rule.

Head coach Sherwin Meneses is enjoying the luxury of having players ready to contribute from the first six to the last woman off the bench.

The Cool Smashers’ rotation can sustain momentum from start to finish, as proven by their unblemished record after four starts to take the solo lead.

Creamline once again displayed its great collective effort on Thursday when the league visited Isabela.

Starter Jema Galanza and reliever Bernadeth Pons showed the way as the Cool Smashers swept the Bella Belen-bannered Capital1, 25-18, 31-29, 25-16, at the packed Santiago Sports Complex.

“I’m very happy because everyone’s performing well and contributing. I always say during interviews that each one of us is deserving to play so I think this season is for everyone,” said Galanza, who had 14 attacks and two kill blocks while submitting 11 excellent receptions.

Each game, different players have been stepping up to power the Cool Smashers closer to a semifinal seat — a huge advantage for an elite club with a stacked and intact lineup.

“It’s a great thing because we keep our opponents guessing who to defend. We’re not even sure how we will perform but since the PVL has a different format, we just try to enjoy our time on the court. We try to focus on how we’ll contribute once fielded since we don’t have a consistent first six,” Galanza added.

Although still unbeaten halfway to the elimination round, Meneses maintains that Creamline still has a lot to improve on.

“No. 1 is how to balance the game since it’s an all-to-start,” he said.