Defending champion Creamline banked on its championship experience and veteran composure to turn back sister team Choco Mucho, 25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22, in Game 1 of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference finals Thursday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Unbeaten in 14 straight games, the Cool Smashers moved on the cusp of claiming a third consecutive all-Filipino crown after hurdling the hard-fighting Flying Titans, who made Creamline sweat despite playing in their first finals stint.
Game 2 of the best-of-three series is on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We showed great team effort in our game today. I’m happy we’re able to handle every situation that we went through. Choco Mucho is not easy to beat,” Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said.
“But the job is not yet done. We can’t be complacent. We still have Game 2. So it’s back to work again for us.”
Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza fired 16 points each, all coming off attacks, to lead the Cool Smashers, who rained down 67 attack points compared to 50 of the Flying Titans. Jeanette Panaga had 13 markers.
Grizzled veteran Alyssa Valdez played a huge role in the decisive third set run that swung the momentum to Creamline’s side after yielding the second frame and posted 11 points, 11 digs and eight excellent receptions.
Michele Gumabao had 11 markers while Kyle Negrito dished out 22 excellent sets for the Cool Smashers, who inched closer to a fifth all-Filipino title and seventh championship overall.
“We gave it all out in today’s game. Coach told us in the dugout to put our hearts in the game. I think it played a big difference in today’s match. We trusted each other. We put faith in our skills. Believed in our teamwork and I think we held on to that in the third set,” Valdez said.
Valdez was the catalyst of Creamline’s surge in the tightly-contested third set, blasting a personal 4-1 run to turn a 20-22 deficit to a 24-23 lead.
Choco Mucho setter Deanna Wong scored on a kill block to force a deuce before Risa Sato blocked Sisi Rondina to move at set point advantage. Galanza closed the third set with a checked ball off the hands of Flying Titans setter Deanna Wong.
Smelling blood, the Cool Smashers controlled the fourth set to seal the victory that took two hours and 12 minutes to be decided.
Maddie Madayag led Choco Mucho with 18 points including seven kill blocks while Rondina, who had an injury scare early in the third when she banged knees with teammate Thang Ponce, got 17 markers and 19 excellent receptions.
Kat Tolentino added 16 points for the Flying Titans, who made it to their first ever finals through a come-from-behind semifinals series win over Cignal.
