Stung by Farm Fresh’s mighty comeback in the first set and the Foxies’ game-long gritty stand, Creamline drew strength from its vast championship experience to secure a 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16 victory, fighting back into contention in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Saturday night.
The Cool Smashers, after squandering significant leads in the pivotal third set, demonstrated their poise under pressure to escape with the win and wrest a 2-1 set lead. They then poured it all out in the fourth, storming to a 16-6 advantage behind a 10-2 run and never looked back, leveling their record to 1-1 following a tough five-set setback to the PLDT High Speed Hitters last Tuesday.
Farm Fresh, on the other hand, fell to 0-2, including a straight-set defeat to Chery Tiggo.
While the Cool Smashers remained energized through three grueling set encounters, the Foxies appeared spent, struggling with both execution and defense, enabling their multi-titled rivals to build a commanding 19-7 lead, ultimately annexing the victory, which also served as a big birthday present for coach Sherwin Meneses.
Erica May Staunton surpassed her 20-point debut with a stellar 26-point performance, including a backrow attack that wrapped up the two-hour encounter. She outplayed counterpart Yeny Murillo late in the third and early in the fourth sets to help lift the Cool Smashers to the win.
Despite her stellar performance, which included 14 excellent receptions, Staunton acknowledged her teammates’ contributions, saying: “The win was great, it’s a team effort.”
She did receive solid support from the heavy-hitting Michele Gumabao, who contributed 21 points, while Pangs Panaga and Bernadette Pons added 12 and nine points, respectively. Bea de Leon and setter Kyle Negrito finished with six markers apiece for the eight-time league champions, including the last two All-Filipino Conference titles.
While the win provided a significant morale boost for the depleted Creamline side, the loss was tough for Farm Fresh. Despite showing much promise and potential with a stirring come-from-behind win in the opening set, the Foxies failed to mount another strong finishing effort in the subsequent sets.
Murillo exploded for 26 points while Caitlin Viray and Trisha Tubu fired 12 points apiece and Rizza Cruz added six markers for the Foxies, who fell to 0-2, including a straight-set defeat to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.
Gumabao and Staunton took charge for Creamline in the crucial moments of the third set, each scoring two pivotal points to rally their team from an 18-20 deficit and secure the frame, giving them a 2-1 lead.
With Viray taking charge for Farm Fresh as Murillo rotated to the back row, the Foxies overcame early deficits to take a 20-18 lead. After Viray and Gumabao traded hits to maintain Farm Fresh's advantage, the former La Salle standout delivered another powerful strike then Staunton followed with back-to-back kills, including one after a thrilling exchange of hits and saves, allowing Creamline to regain the upper hand at 22-21.
A powerful blast from Gumabao forced the Foxies into an error, and a well-coordinated block on Trisha Tubu's combination play brought the Cool Smashers to set point. Gumabao then sealed the fiercely contested set with another decisive hit.
