Creamline’s three-headed monster is doing wonders for its title-retention bid in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference.
Reigning Conference Most Valuable Player Tots Carlos, returning multi-awarded veteran Alyssa Valdez and all-around winger Jema Galanza are all peaking at the same time and at the right moment as the mid-season tournament nears its climax.
But while the Cool Smashers’ star players are flexing their respective game and quite possibly boosting their case for individual recognitions, head coach Sherwin Meneses liked the professionalism of his wards for not losing focus on their collective goal of keeping the crown on their heads.
“I like that my players do not envy each other,” Meneses’ straightforward answer.
Carlos has been crunching MVP numbers right from the start of the tournament consistently leading the pink-clad volleybelles’ offense.
Galanza is quietly and efficiently doing her fair share on offense and defense while Valdez has already regained her fine form in her comeback after six months of absence due to a right knee injury she sustained last December in the Reinforced Conference battle for third.
As expected, the trio has been carrying the unblemished Creamline in the round-robin semifinals. Their heroics in back-to-back five-set squeakers have kept the Cool Smashers on the right track to another finals appearance.
The triumvirate put up more than 20 points each in Creamline’s exciting 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 24-26, 15-10, win over Cignal last Saturday that improved the team’s carryover win-loss record to 3-0.
Carlos posted 27 points including 25 off attacks as Valdez backed her up with 22 — the former three-time MVP’s best scoring performance so far in the conference.
Galanza finished with 21 points laced with 17 digs and eight excellent receptions.
“Honestly, it’s a great feeling to be able to contribute to the team and it’s nice, for me coming off an injury, that I get to gauge where the result of my hard work in the past eight months is at,” Valdez said.
“I’m happy that my teammates are here and happy that all of us are working for a common cause for Creamline.”
Carlos, on the other hand, said that contribution for the Cool Smashers goes beyond the points and other numbers on the stars sheet.
“The help and support that we give each other is not all about the scores. It’s the energy of each single one of us. It’s how the coaches handle us, how they guide those players on the bench to observe what is happening inside the court and what they could suggest to do for those who are playing,” Carlos said.
“It’s not just about what you can contribute through scores. Like, we are happy that Ate Ly, she’s really back, so we’re really happy for her. The help that we get from each other is more about team effort.”
The Cool Smashers try to clinch a finals seat in their last two semis assignments against Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh of Vietnam on Tuesday and Kurashiki Ablaze on Friday.
With Carlos, Valdez and Galanza leading the way along with the help of a star-studded crew, Creamline is looking poised for another title run.
