Creamline core gets it done anew in return to PVL throne

Although there were struggles, that unbreakable bond had kept the Cool Smashers on the line especially in the most trying of times.

PVL Media Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — Creamline’s reascension to the Premier Volleyball League summit has no secrets.

It was just plain good old-fashioned team chemistry and getting everybody back.

“Our original core that has finally gotten back together this conference was really the team’s best,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses, moments after sweeping Cignal in the PVL All-Filipino Conference finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and seizing their 11th crown.

Meneses, of course, was referring to the return of beloved setter Jia de Guzman and multi-faceted Bernadeth Ponsm after missing a few conferences that may have contributed to the franchise’s painful decline the last 19 months.

It also helped that Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and charismatic team captain Alyssa Valdez are all back in the pink of health.

“We had injuries, some health issues this conference, but I’m proud of my players because every time we were short of players, our bench contributed to fill those vacuums so it was really a total team effort,” said Meneses.

“That was the key reason why we ended up as champions, we lost some, some will surely step up,” he added.

Although there were struggles, that unbreakable bond had kept the Cool Smashers on the line especially in the most trying of times.

“We had a couple of do-or-die games that made me really proud because of how we handled it. We really dug deep,” said De Guzman.

For Galanza, she considered this title reclamation the sweetest of all.

“This is probably the happiest and most memorable championship for us because the teams that beat us, we got back at them before we made it to the finals,” she said.

De Guzman agrees.

“This is the most special championship for me,” she said.

Pons, for her part, said she prayed for this moment.

“I’m really grateful for this because I manifested even before the start of the conference,” said Pons, who was also named Finals MVP to add to the crown they recently snared and the Southeast Asian Games beach volley gold she won in Thailand last year.