By ADRIAN STEWART CO
The Creamline Cool Smashers showcased their dominance over the Galeries Tower Highrisers, securing a 25-22, 25-17, 25-15 victory in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Thursday night, March 7.
Michelle Gumabao came off the bench to score 10 points, while Diana Carlos and Alyssa Valdez contributed nine and eight markers, respectively, as the Cool Smashers improved to a 3-0 win-loss slate.
Lorie Lyn Bernardo started in the middle and finished with six points, while Bea de Leon, Jessica Galanza and Bernadeth Pons contributed five markers each for the defending champion.
“Based on their performance, okay naman nung third set, medyo malayo ‘yung score. Okay naman. At least, hindi masyadong nagpabaya dun sa mga basic skills na ginagawa namin palagi,” Cool Smashers head coach Sherwin Meneses said.
Kyle Negrito, who was named Player of the Game with 18 excellent sets, emphasized that the Cool Smashers were challenged despite facing a win-less team in the Highrisers.
“There are no easy teams in the league. Against [the] Galeries, we had to maintain focus on our system and execute our plays,” the former Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws volleybelle said in a post-game interview.
Meanwhile, the Cignal HD Spikers quashed the Nxled Chameleons’ last-ditch fight back in the third set for a 25-21, 25-17, 25-21 victory, and joined the Cool Smashers and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans with a 3-0 record.
After storming to a huge 23-10 lead in the third set, the HD Spikers allowed the Chameleons to unload eight straight points behind Jhoanna Maraguinot to cut the deficit to 18-23.
Jovelyn Fernandez stopped the bleeding for Cignal HD with a crucial block on Maraguinot, and after giving up three more points to Nxled, Ilongga Glaudine Trongcoso capped the win for the HD Spikers with a well-placed touch block.
“We still need to work hard. We failed to close them out convincingly in the third set,” Roselyn Doria, who was named Player of the Game with 10 points, said.
“Nxled did what it was supposed to do,” she added./ASC, WDJ