For the Creamline Cool Smashers, the quest for the first-ever Grand Slam in Philippine volleyball history has been a saga of highs and lows.
For three consecutive years, they encountered significant hurdles in their pursuit of this historic achievement.
The journey began in the 2022 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference, where Creamline’s bid for a Grand Slam came to a dramatic halt with a four-set defeat to Cignal. This loss not only dashed their hopes for a Grand Slam but also ended their streak of eight consecutive PVL Finals appearances.
The following year, the Invitational Conference presented another setback. Creamline faced an agonizing five-set loss to Kurashiki, a team based in Japan, in the winner-take-all final. Despite their best efforts, the Cool Smashers fell short once again.
This year, the path to the Grand Slam was further complicated by injuries and absences. The Cool Smashers were deprived of the services of key players Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez due to injuries. Additionally, Jema Galanza was unavailable for most of the tournaments due to her commitments with Alas Pilipinas.
Yet, as the saying goes, the third time’s the charm. Interim team captain Michele Gumabao led Creamline to their long-awaited Grand Slam, achieving what had eluded them for years. Gumabao’s remarkable performance was pivotal in their success, earning her the Invitational Conference MVP award and marking her 10th championship with the most successful PVL ball club.
Reflecting on the team’s triumph, Gumabao shared, “All of these [awards] say that the team just really trusts each other and tiwala rin talaga kami kay coach [Sherwin].” She emphasized, “Buo ang tiwala namin kay coach, buo ang tiwala namin sa isa’t isa na kaya namin iangat ang bawat isa anytime na may mahihirapan, anytime na may nagstra-struggle.”
The Cool Smashers’ Grand Slam victory was not easily won. They had to dig deep, especially in the finals where they were pushed to the limit. Despite Galanza being limited to five points due to her condition, the leadership of Gumabao and the collective resilience of the team shone through. Creamline staged a comeback from a 1-2 set deficit to secure the Grand Slam and their first Invitational title in two years.
Gumabao attributed their success to their championship pedigree and the unwavering belief in each other and their coach. “We were down two sets to one, hindi nawalan ng tiwala. Hindi nawalan ng pag-asa and talagang nagtulungan lang talaga,” the 32-year-old spiker from La Salle said. “Nandoon yung experience pero kailangan pa rin talagang pagtrabahuhan. The experience will just help you calm your nerves.”
With their Grand Slam achievement, the Creamline Cool Smashers have cemented their legacy as one of the greatest teams in Philippine volleyball history, proving that perseverance, trust, and teamwork can turn adversity into triumph.
