Games Tuesday:
(Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. — Farm Fresh vs PLDT
6:30 p.m. — Cignal vs Creamline
Creamline finally ended a three-conference finals drought.
Banking on their experience and composure forged from countless battles won and lost, the Cool Smashers sent Farm Fresh packing, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 25-19, in a winner-take-all match for the last championship seat in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Creamline’s redemption tour continued after bringing down its preliminary round tormentor in a sweet end of round-robin Final Four revenge win that forged a best-of-three title showdown with Cignal.
Game 1 of the two proud teams’ first finals meeting since the 2024 Invitationals is set on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I guess, No. 1 the players really stepped up and really wanted to win today. Farm Fresh is not a pushover team. It’s also a veteran team. But I guess Creamline players wanted to win and make a return to the finals to play Cignal,” Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses said in relief.
The 10-time champion advanced to the biggest stage for the first time since a runner-up finish in the 2025 All-Filipino Conference.
Creamline now has a chance to end more than a year of title drought after completing a historic grand slam in 2024.
Tots Carlos led the Cool Smashers’ balanced scoring with 15 points, all from attacks, and 14 excellent receptions while Jema Galanza and Pangs Panaga added 13 markers each.
Bernadeth Pons submitted a triple-double of 12 points, 17 digs and 17 excellent receptions for Creamline, which closed the semis with a 2-1 win-loss record.
“Super happy, first of all. Our journey back to the finals this conference wasn’t easy. But the job is far from over. We have to be ready and prepare, so we can achieve our goal this conference,” Pons said.
Creamline found the semis newbie Farm Fresh a tough nut to crack.
After splitting the first two sets, the Cool Smashers took control of the third frame and went up by five points midway through the set only for the Foxies to tie it at 19.
It was a see-saw battle from there before Creamline moved to set point, 24-22. Trisha Tubu saved a point before Carlos’ finishing blow.
Snelling blood, the Cool Smashers kept their distance throughout the set as Tubu surrendered the match with back-to-back errors.
Farm Fresh ended the semis with a 1-2 card and will face PLDT in the battle for third.
Tubu scored a game-high 21 points, 20 off kills, Ces Molina added 19 markers while Royse Tubino and Mylene Paat had 12 and 11 points, respectively.