By ADRIAN STEWART CO
The Creamline Cool Smashers stretched their PVL 2nd All-Filipino Conference winning run to two games as they swept the Akari Power Chargers, 26-24, 25-21, 25-18, at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur on Saturday night, November 23.
Negrense Bernadeth Pons finished with 10 points, on eight attacks, one block and a service ace, to go with four excellent digs, as the Cool Smashers tied the Cignal HD Spikers and the PLDT High Speed Hitters on top with a 2-0 win-loss slate.
Jessica Galanza led the way for Creamline with 13 points to go with four excellent digs and five receptions, while Bea de Leon contributed 12 points, with 10 coming from attacks.
Diana Carlos, who was sidelined for almost six months due to an undisclosed injury, finished with four points, the same as Michelle Gumabao and Jeanette Panaga for Creamline.
“The team’s mindset is to keep small balls, since this has been key to all our games,” De Leon said during her Player of the Game interview.
“Personally, I’m just enjoying the game — my knees are healthy, and Tots and Ate Aly [Valdez] are back,” she added.
Erika Raagas finished with 11 points, while Negrense Christine Joy Soyud, Ivy Lacsina and Faith Nisperos contributed seven, six and five points, respectively, as the Power Chargers dropped to 2-1.
Meanwhile, the Petro Gazz Angels returned to their winning ways after a 25-21, 25-17, 25-19 straight-set romp over the Farm Fresh Foxies.
Brooke Van Sickle delivered another solid performance, finishing with 20 points and four excellent digs as the Angels notched their second victory in three matches.
“Farm Fresh knows how to play defense. We just had to stay patient. They’re going to dig balls, and we needed to stay calm and level-headed,” Van Sickle said in a post-game interview.
“We just focused on limiting errors and staying locked in as the game went on,” she added.
Myla Pablo also made her presence felt on the offensive end with 11 points, while Ilongga Aiza Maizo-Pontillas contributed 10 markers, including a match-clinching attack late in the third set./ASC, WDJ