With little rest after another championship triumph, the Creamline Cool Smashers showed no signs of slowing down, making quick work of the EST Cola side with a commanding 25-13, 25-12, 25-15 victory to open their Premier Volleyball League Invitational 2024 campaign at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna on Friday.
Playmaker Kyle Negrito continued her stellar play, distributing 15 excellent sets to orchestrate the team’s fluid offense. Negrito’s performance came on the heels of her pivotal role in Creamline’s straight-set, 60-minute victory over the Akari Chargers in last Wednesday’s PVL Reinforced Conference final.
“It feels like we’re not done yet,” Negrito said in Filipino, reflecting on the team’s strong start as it aims for a grand slam season after falling short in 2022.
The victory also primed up the crowd favorites against the unbeaten defending champion Kurashiki Ablaze when action shifts to the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
Michele Gumabao, a key player in the Cool Smashers' record-setting ninth championship run, delivered a strong performance with 14 points and eight excellent digs, leading the team to a dominant victory in just 72 minutes.
Bernadeth Pons, who has risen to MVP-caliber status in the absence of some key Creamline players, continued her remarkable form. Fresh off her Conference and Finals MVP sweep, Pons backed Gumabao with 10 points.
"Our mindset is to forget the previous conference, that’s behind us now,” said Pons in Filipino. “This is a new conference, so we need to focus and work even harder.”
Negrito echoed Pons' sentiments, adding: "Our goal from the start has been to go all the way in the Invitational, so we really have to put in the effort."
Coach Sherwin Meneses shared his satisfaction with the team’s performance but stressed the need for continued improvement.
"We’re happy with how we played, even without much training. But we’ll be back in training tomorrow (Saturday), and hopefully, we can maintain this level of play throughout the conference," he said.
The win also set in motion the team's grand slam bid.
“Our top priority is training tomorrow, and we’re taking it one game at a time. It won’t be an easy road ahead, just like in the 2022 Reinforced Conference. For now, our focus is on training,” said Meneses. “We’re preparing ourselves for the challenge that Kurashiki will bring.”
Erica Staunton and Bea de Leon added eight and seven markers, respectively, Pangs Panaga and Lorie Bernardo chipped in six and five points, respectively, while Risa Sato and Negrito matched four-point outputs.
The Cool Smashers’ dominance was evident across the board. Creamline’s veteran squad completely outclassed their youthful opponents, whose core consists of Thailand’s under-20 team.
Creamline registered 47 spikes compared to EST Cola’s 24, showcasing its superior firepower.
The Cool Smashers’ defense at the net also shone, doubling the Thais’ block output with an 8-4 advantage, while capitalizing on their opponent’s shaky reception to score five aces. The Cool Smashers committed 10 errors but gained 15 points from their rivals' unforced mistakes.
Warisara Seetaloed scored seven points, Kwannapat Nuawan and Natthawan Phatthaisong added six and five points, respectively, and Napatson Pumnin and Nattharika Wasan added four points each for EST Cola, which absorbed its second straight loss in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
