Defending champs Creamline unplug the Akari Chargers to stay in the hunt for a 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference finals berth.
Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses had a simple piece of advice ahead of his team’s semifinals bout against the Akari Chargers on Tuesday.
The Cool Smashers entered Tuesday’s game following their loss to the Petro Gazz Angels to open the round-robin semifinals. However, as disappointing as it was, the defending champs still had control over their fate, which Meneses made sure to emphasize to his players.
“Lahat naman kami talaga minindset ni coach [Sherwin Meneses], sabi nga samin 90 percent hawak pa rin namin ‘yung destiny namin, and gusto din namin ma-defend ‘yung crown,” star hitter Bernadeth Pons said moments after Creamline successfully bounced back against the Chargers on Tuesday.
It was all Creamline throughout the 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 victory, as they quickly shut down the Chargers whenever they threatened to gain some momentum in some stretches of the game.
Pons led the way with a team-high 17 points, 12 excellent digs, and 15 receptions, while middle blocker Pangs Panaga fired for a conference-high 13 points. Tots Carlos had a 13-point, 10-dig double-double, followed by captain Alyssa Valdez, who added nine markers in the winning cause.
“‘Yung game kasi ngayon, ito ‘yung magdi-dictate ng chance namin. ‘Yun ‘yung extra motivation din namin ngayon na ipanalo namin ‘yung game na ‘to, kasi gusto din namin ma-defend ‘yung crown,” admitted Pons, with the Cool Smashers looking to secure a “five-peat” following their historic Grand Slam.
It goes without saying that the loss to Petro Gazz was another source of motivation for the defending champs.
“Actually isa din sa motivation namin ‘yung game na ‘yun [vs Petro Gazz], kasi alam namin sa sarili namin na di ganun ‘yung laro namin, na mas may ilalaro pa kaming maganda. Na mas kaya naming ilabas kung ano talaga ‘yung game namin. So extra motivation din talaga ‘yung last game na mas pag igihan pa,” Pons admitted.
‘Naging careless kami’
Creamline’s weekend loss serves as their most lopsided loss for the ongoing conference, which Pons attributed to their lack of ball control against the Angels.
“Sabi nga ni coach, naging careless kami doon sa mga bola na dapat kontrolado namin, tas hindi namin naihatid nang maayos,” Pons reflected, with the Cool Smashers having a rare off-night against the Angels. “Dapat yung mga controlled namin na bola 100 percent kami doon, so ‘yun ‘yung mga naging careless kami last game, and mas nag-extra focus kami sa training namin non.”
“And dapat pagdating ngayong game, ‘yung mga controlled namin na bola, dapat 100 percent na ‘yung paghatid namin ng maayos para maka-engage ‘yung mga middles namin. Mas madali kasi ‘yung trabaho pag kasama ‘yung mga gitna, so ayun lang din, sinunod lang din namin ‘yung sabi ni coach and ‘yung sistema.”
Meneses himself was pleased with his team’s response following the Petro Gazz loss, especially with the involvement of their middles against Akari on Tuesday.
“’Di naman kailangan i-pressure ‘yung team. Dapat din is pagtuunan ‘yung mga naging lapses last game, dun lang kami nag-focus and kung ano ‘yung kahinatnan ng team. Ang importante is nalaman namin kung ano ‘yung naging lapses namin at talagang nabigyan namin ng time para ma-improve,” the soft-spoken mentor said.
“Thankful kami kasi talagang medyo gumana ‘yung mga middle namin, and naging team talaga ang Creamline ngayon.”
Creamline returns to action this Thursday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, where they will attempt to book their seventh-straight PVL finals berth in a rivalry matchup with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans. Though it won’t be any easier for the defending champs, with the Titans also looking to force a one-game playoff for their own finals aspirations.
“Napaka–importante nitong game kasi parang do or die samin ‘yung [semifinals] games. So para lang makabawi…syempre staying focused talaga, and teamwork andun pa rin, hindi pwedeng mag-blame ng kung sino, and kung may kulang, talagang dapat pag-usapang mabuti para makabawi lang,” Meneses said.
“So masaya kami kasi nakabawi kami ng one game sa semis, so pag-iigihan pa namin sa Thursday para makabalik ng finals.”
Banner images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.