The margin for error has grown slimmer, the opponents tougher, and the stakes higher. Jema Galanza knows it.
The Creamline Cool Smashers know it. And with the 2025 PVL On Tour semifinals looming, the defending queens of Philippine volleyball are embracing the grind like never before.
The Cool Smashers endured an uncharacteristically bumpy ride in the group stage, absorbing rare back-to-back defeats at the hands of Cignal and ZUS Coffee. For a team that once strung together four straight conference titles, the setbacks were a stark reminder: the rest of the league has caught up.
“Sabi ni Coach She na talagang ngayong PVL season, I think last conference pa lang talaga lahat ng teams nag-improve, lumalaban talaga,” Galanza said, echoing head coach Sherwin Meneses’ assessment of the heightened competition.
It’s been a season of lessons for Creamline. Their dominant run ended a few months ago when Petro Gazz dethroned them in the All-Filipino Conference, followed by a quarterfinal exit in the 2025 AVC Champions League. Galanza admits the sting of those losses still lingers — but so do the lessons.
That renewed hunger was on full display Saturday night at the Philsports Arena. In a do-or-die quarterfinal match, Creamline overpowered Farm Fresh in straight sets, 25-19, 25-19, 26-24, to punch their ticket to the semifinals.
“So kami, mas nagfo-focus kami doon sa ilalalaro namin. 'Yung mga talo or mistakes namin nung nagkaraan, ganun talaga — may mga pagkakamali, pero ang importante na naaayos namin. I think mas okay 'yung game namin, and sana madali namin sa semifinals,” Galanza said, after chipping in 10 points and six digs to fuel the win.
The victory wasn’t just about skill — it was also about timing. Clinching an outright quarterfinal berth early gave the Cool Smashers an invaluable 19-day break. For a team carrying the weight of expectation, that pause was more than just physical recovery; it was a mental reset.
“Maganda po dahil nga sunod-sunod na rin 'yung semifinals, tapos kung maka-finals, so importante din 'yung 19-day break kasi nagkasakit. Tas siyempre, hindi maiiwasan na minsan may mararamdaman ka sa katawan mo kasi talagang magkasunod na game 'yung On Tour,” Galanza shared.
“Nagpapasalamat kami na nagkaroon kami ng mahabang break para mas ready din kami mentally dahil sunod-sunod 'yung mga games namin.”
With the semifinals set, Creamline finds itself in familiar territory — not just as a contender, but as a team with something to prove.
