Creamline had to pick itself up from a first-set fall to score a 23-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-21 victory over newcomer Akari yesterday to inch closer to a Final Four berth in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
“The team got a bit careless in the first set but what’s important is how we recovered,” Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said.
The victory was Creamline’s fourth straight and it was not until Tots Carlos’ kill in the fourth set that the Cool Smashers were able to heave a sigh of relief as the Chargers refused to hand the game on a silver platter.
Carlos checked in for Alyssa Valdez as Akari denied Creamline’s coup de grace thrice.
Turkish import Yeliz Basa finished with 18 points highlighted by 16 attacks while Celine Domingo wreaked havoc at the net with five kill blocks in her 14-point performance for the Cool Smashers.
Jema Galanza got 12 points to go with 17 excellent receptions while Jia Morado-de Guzman tallied 19 excellent sets to help Creamline score 58 attack points.
Valdez, who only played in the first three frames, had four points and 18 digs for the Cool Smashers, who committed 30 errors in the match.
The Chargers kept it tight until the closing stretch of the opening frame before Dominican import Prisilla Rivera pushed Akari at set point with a crisp kill block on Jeanette Panaga.
Creamline surrendered the set after Basa’s attack was whistled long despite Cool Smashers contesting the call.
Rivera finished with 13 points while Erika Raagas had 10 markers for the Chargers, who suffered their third straight loss to slide down to a 1-4 card.
