ILOCOS NORTE - Creamline schooled a young Choco Mucho side key lessons on poise and all as the Cool Smashers hammered out a semis-clinching, come-from-behind 18-25, 25-9, 21-25, 25-18, 15-6 victory to clinch the first Final Four berth in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference here, Wednesday.
In a fifth set that featured stinging hits and superb blocking, the defending champions came out the clear winner as Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, Michele Gumabao and Risa Sato provided the firepower while anchoring their net defense on Jeanette Panaga.
Throughout their surge in the last two sets, particularly in the decider, ace playmaker Jia Morado fed off the sets both on the outside and opposite side that forever baffled the Flying Titans with Carlos scoring almost at will that made it 8-3 on their way to notching their seventh victory against a loss.
"I think one thing na our coaches keep on reminding us is to really just play, let it all out inside the court. We really just have to play for each other," said Valdez.
Valdez had an all-around performance, scoring 22 points to go along with 23 digs and 12 receptions.
Gumabao tallied 19 points and 16 digs, Carlos provided the spark with 16 points and 12 receptions, while the returning Jeanette Panaga and Risa Sato chipped in 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
Morado glued things together with 37 excellent sets.
The loss, meanwhile, stalled Choco Mucho at 6-1, needing to win one of its last two games to join its sister team in post-season play at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra here.
Creamline's victory likewise marked the return of Thai coach Tai Bundit, who took over from Sherwin Meneses after completing the IATF strict quarantine requirements.
It was a sorry setback for the Flying Titans, who had appeared to play with so much maturity while having the Cool Smashers' numbers with their big wins in the first and third sets. But held under pressure, they cracked up in the fourth, including costly miscues at endgame.
They actually kept the match tight by trading three hits in the fifth, behind Kat Tolentino, but after Gumabao dumped in a hit after a couple of foiled Carlos' attacks, the Flying Titans yielded another point on a net violation and Panaga frustrated Tolentino's own blast.
Then came Carlos' back-to-back hits and the former UP standout added another kill on the opposite side that sandwiched Maddie Madayag's drop shot for a 9-4 Creamline lead.
Deanne Wong blocked Valdez in the ensuing play only to give back the point on a service miscue and the Cool Smashers racked up five of the last six points to pound out the victory in over two hours of top-class volleyball.
"All throughout the game may mga struggle and may mga lapses pa rin but I think all the shouting and yung pagchicheer ng lahat nakita niyo naman it really helped the team," Valdez expressed.
Kat Tolentino led the way for Choco Mucho with 16 points while fellow Ateneo products Maddie Madayag and Ponggay Gaston had 12 and 11 points respectively. (ND)
