By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Creamline Cool Smashers secured the final semifinal berth in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference after defeating the Akari Power Chargers, 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-16, at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan City on Tuesday, April 7.

Negrense Bernadeth Pons tallied 13 points as the Cool Smashers leaned on their experience to close out the Power Chargers and barge to the single-round robin semis beginning this Saturday, April 11.

Alyssa Valdez delivered a vintage performance with an all-around effort of 20 points, 19 excellent digs and eight excellent receptions, while Jeanette Panaga and Diana Carlos contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively.

“I’m speechless. We’ve been through so much as a team — a lot of struggles and challenges — but little by little, we still found a way to reach the semifinals,” Valdez said after the win.

“We just stayed true to our culture. Even when we were struggling, we kept working until we found our footing during a very challenging time,” she added.

Akari had four players in double figures, led by Ivy Lacsina with 13 points.

Mereophe Sharma added 12, while Celine Domingo and Eli Soyud chipped in 11 points each.

Meanwhile, the Farm Fresh Foxies book its first-ever semifinal appearance after sweeping the Nxled Chameleons, 25-17, 25-20, 25-19.

Trisha Tubu spearheaded the offense with 12 points, Frances Molina added 10 markers, while Victonara Galang had her best game with the Foxies with nine markers.

The milestone marks a significant achievement for the franchise, which only entered the league in 2023 and is now set to compete for a spot in the finals for the first time.

On the other hand, Nxled’s campaign came to an early close despite offseason moves that saw the team acquire key players from reigning champion Petro Gazz Angels.

They were led by Brooke Van Sickle’s 13 points./ASC, WDJ