Creamline may have dropped its crown to a rising power in Petro Gazz, but its head coach Sherwin Meneses is not yet ready to raise the white flag of surrender.
Barely a day after failing to lead the Cool Smashers to the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference title following a dramatic Game 3 setback to the Angels in their best-of-three title series, Meneses was back in the sidelines to steer National University to a masterful conquest of Ateneo de Manila University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.
He doesn’t sound salty over their defeat but issued a warning that their dynasty in the country’s top women’s club league is still far from over.
“What happened (in the PVL was already) done. We need to move on quickly, especially since we have the AVC tournament coming up,” said Meneses after leading the Lady Bulldogs to a 25-16, 25-15, 25-21 win over the Blue Eagles that gave them a twice-to-bead edge in the Final Four of the UAAP last Sunday.
“I think the players were able to recover fast. Petro Gazz deserved that championship — they wanted it more. But our players didn’t give up either.”
Against a resurgent Petro Gazz side bannered by Filipino-foreign wingers in Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips, the Cool Smashers faded to oblivion, especially in the fourth set of the deciding match in which the Angeles uncorked a sizzling run that helped them secure the crown.
But Meneses didn’t see a single tear in the eyes of his Cool Smashers.
“No one really broke down in tears. That says something,” Meneses said.
“It means it didn’t hurt as much as people might think. But of course, our players are very competitive, so I’m sure they’re reflecting on it in their own way.”
‘For now, the players are taking some time at home to recover.’
Now, Creamline is setting its sights against the best clubs in Asia as they vie in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League, which runs from 20 to 27 April at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Reinforcement Erica Staunton is confirmed to return, along with two yet-to-be-announced imports as the country aims to bounce back from its sixth-place finish when the event was held last year in Thailand.
Creamline will compete in Pool A alongside Kazakhstan’s VC Zhetysu and Jordan’s Al-Nassr.
“For now, the players are taking some time at home to recover,” Meneses added.
“But I think they’ll bounce back well. We’ll just try to make up for it in other conferences, especially in the AVC. Creamline is always competitive.”