With their ‘drive for five’ on the line, Bernadeth Pons shows the way as the Creamline Cool Smashers force a decisive Game 3 against Petro Gazz.
Since her MVP-winning campaign during the 2024 PVL season, outside hitter Bernadeth Pons has well established her place among the Creamline Cool Smashers’ galaxy of greats.
With Creamline’s 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference title hopes on the line, the two-way ace exhibited champion poise on Thursday, leading the Cool Smashers as they leveled their title bout against Petro Gazz in a thrilling 25-15, 16-25, 25-21, 15-21, 15-9 victory at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Pons finished with a game-high 22 points built on 19 spikers, along with nine excellent digs, and 12 excellent receptions, as Creamline set up a winner-takes-all Game 3 at the Philsports Arena on Saturday.
In following up her 16-point, 20-dig, 13-reception from Game 1, Pons drew motivation from the fact that Creamline’s fight was far from over. Game 1 was a deflating loss, yes, but they still had one last shot to keep their season alive by winning the crucial Game 2.
“Unang-una, sabi nga samin ni coach [Sherwin Meneses] after nung Game 1 na hindi pa tapos, so ‘wag kami masyado mag-isip kasi may Game 2 pa, so hawak pa rin namin, nasa kamay pa rin namin,” Pons said. “So kanina din, bago kami pumunta dito, ang reminder ng bawa’t isa ay hindi namin isusuko itong game na ito. Hangga’t ‘di natatapos, hindi kami titigil.”
Creamline, however, nearly dropped their do-or-die Game 2, allowing Petro Gazz to capitalize on their errors in Set 4 to force a fifth and deciding set for the All-Filipino title.
But as a true champion team, the Cool Smashers successfully recovered in Set 5, with Pons scoring five of her 22 markers in a masterful closing performance over Petro Gazz.
It was a stark contrast to Game 1, where they ran out of steam in Set 5 after clawing hard to overcome a 0-2 set deficit.
“Siguro, lesson din talaga samin ‘yung fifth set noong nakaraan, kasi pinush namin na hanggang fifth set, pero hindi namin nakuha. So sobrang laking bagay din ‘yun na sa fifth set ngayon, parang ayaw na namin maulit ‘yun,” said the reigning Reinforced Conference MVP.
“So ang mindset lang talaga is one point, one point. Pag nagkakamali kami, let go agad, focus kami sa next na gagawin namin, so ‘yun ‘yung sobrang nakatulong din sa akin.”
Pons also treated the pressure to extend their season as a privilege, which allowed her and the Cool Smashers to overcome a formidable foe in Petro Gazz.
“Sobrang ine-embrace lang din namin ‘yung challenge kasi andito na kami sa sitwasyon na ito. So ‘yun, anong gagawin namin para makuha. Hindi na kami pwede mag-dwell pa noong Game 1 kasi tapos na ‘yun, so good thing naman na nakuha namin [Game 2] .”
Welcome back to the starting six, Jema Galanza
Accompanying Pons in Game 2 was Jema Galanza, who made her return to the starting lineup after getting limited by a thumb injury for much of the round-robin semifinals.
Galanza finished with 13 points in Thursday’s game, which included the game-winning ace that set up Saturday’s winner-takes-all clash.
One of Creamline’s “magic bunots’ during Game 1 alongside Michele Gumabao, the former Adamson ace was just glad to be back making an impact after spending extended time on the Cool Smashers’ bench.
“Syempre happy nakalaro ako nang matagal, pero malaking bagay din ‘yung tiwala na binibigay ng team lalo si Coach She sa akin, but ayun, kailangan ko lang talaga gawin ‘yung trabaho ko,” Galanza said.
Like Pons, Galanza more than embraced the pressure of overcoming a formidable foe in Petro Gazz, who received twin triple-doubles from Brooke Van Sickle (18 points, 10 digs, 14 receptions) and Jonah Sabete (14 points, 11 digs, 12 receptions) in an attempt to win the franchise’s first All-Filipino title.
“Wala na akong gagawin kasi isang laro na lang ito, isang kalaban na lang ‘yung kakalabanin namin, so focus na lang doon, wala na akong iisipin kundi gawin ‘yung trabaho ko,” said the reigning All-Filipino Finals MVP.
“Sinabi lang talaga namin na kaya namin ito, na hindi kami papayag na matapos ‘yung season na hindi namin nakukuha ‘yung championship.”
Any more surprises for Game 3?
While Game 2 was a show of championship heart for Creamline, it once again saw team captain Alyssa Valdez play limited minutes for the defending champions. The Phenom was only fielded late into Set 4 on Thursday, scoring a solitary point as the Cool Smashers attempted to gain some momentum in the frame.
Head coach Sherwin Meneses, though, attributed the Phenom’s benching to Creamline’s depth chart, a privilege that allows him to tweak the lineup accordingly in order to find the winning combinations.
Apart from Valdez, also coming off the bench was Tots Carlos, who was replaced by reigning Invitational Conference MVP Gumabao in the starting six.
“Hindi mo rin masasabi sa Creamline kung sino ‘yung maglalaro eh. Talagang ‘yung situation na ito, talagang para kay Pons tsaka para kay Jema. Pero anytime naman pwede ipasok si Ly, maybe next game, so let’s see kung sinong maglalaro para sa championship Game 3,” the soft-spoken mentor explained when asked about the matter.
It remains to be seen whether or not Meneses and Creamline will have another ace up their sleeves in Game 3. What’s sure, however, is that they will leave it all on the Philsports Arena Taraflex in their bid to rule over the PVL’s longest conference to date.
“Kung ano ‘yung Creamline, kung ano ‘yung Petro Gazz, I think ‘yun na ‘yung maglalaban sa Sabado, talagang patibayan na lang ng loob,” concluded the Creamline mentor.
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.