Creamline tests depth vs Nxled in PVL on Tour opener

Creamline, owner of 11 PVL championships, will be without star outside hitter Bernadeth Pons. She has been given clearance to skip the PVL on Tour to focus on preparations for the Asian Games in Aichi, Japan this September, where she will team up with Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina in beach volleyball. The pair won SEA Games gold in Thailand last December.

PVL images

Games Wednesday

(Ilagan, Isabela)

4 p.m. – ZUS Coffee vs Akari

6:30 p.m. – Creamline vs Nxled

MANILA, Philippines — The Creamline Cool Smashers have enjoyed a full conference of bliss of having their complete roster back, resulting in their PVL All-Filipino Conference title conquest — their first crown in two years.

But answering national team calls, the proud franchise will have to plod on again minus their key players as it did in the past.

It starts Wednesday in the PVL on Tour in Ilagan City, Isabela, where the 11-time champions battle a complete Nxled side minus practically most of their starters — Bernadeth Pons, Jen Nierva and Jia de Guzman.

Pons was loaned to the national beach volleyball team, while Nierva and De Guzman went to the Alas indoor squad.

Interestingly, Pangs Panaga, who was part of the Aichi-bound Alas pool, joined the club in Ilagan.

Despite it, Creamline remained with a solid core of skipper Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos, Bea de Leon, Michele Gumabao and Kyle Negrito.

Contrastingly, it will face a Nxled squad that will plunge into action in full force headed by Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips and Myla Pablo.

Like Creamline, ZUS Coffee and Akari will miss players too when they collide at 4 p.m.

The Thunderbelles will have no Thea Gagate while the Chargers came without Mars Alba and Justine Jazareno although they brought along Alas pool membe Fifi Sharma.