Creamline title defense still on, books first PVL finals berth

MANILA, Philippines – From the brink of elimination to another shot at championship glory.

The Creamline Cool Smashers barged into another PVL All-Filipino Conference championship series after a dominant straight-set victory against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20, in the Final Four at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, May 5.

Creamline wrapped up the round-robin semifinals with a 2-1 record and 7 points, leaving Choco Mucho (2-0, 5 points) and Petro Gazz (1-1, 3 points) to dispute the other title berth in the second match of the day.

In a match that just took about 95 minutes to conclude, Tots Carlos – who played in her second consecutive game since returning from the Korean pro league tryouts – scored a game-high 16 points.

Playmaker Kyle Negrito showed off on offense after tossing 16 excellent sets, as well as adding 6 points.

“We approached the game the same way, but we really fought hard,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses in Filipino.

The Cool Smashers, who are vying for their eighth crown, booked their seventh All-Filipino finals appearance and 11th overall.

“Our win was so satisfying because every game, the players really fought, and we hope to improve ourselves as we defend the crown,” Meneses said of the Cool Smashers, who reached the semifinals as the fourth and last seed.

Chery Tiggo skipper Aby Maraño paced her team’s scoring with 8 points, while Eya Laure chipped in 8 as they ended their semifinal run with a 0-3 record.

The Crossovers, who were without coach Kung Fu Reyes as he called the shots in the crucial UST-La Salle game in the UAAP Final Four, have been relegated to the bronze-medal match.

PVL | WATCH:

Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos, and Kyle Negrito on Creamline’s win over Chery Tiggo. #PVL2024 pic.twitter.com/doinS1E0XE
— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) May 5, 2024