Jema Galanza leads Creamline Cool Smashers’ balanced attack against Nxled in the PVL All-Filipino Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Creamline keeps playing with sustained brilliance, and save for a first set hiccup, went on to rip Nxled, 25-23, 25-16, 25-21, Thursday as the Cool Smashers notched an eighth straight victory to punch the first ticket to the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals.
Even after losing two mainstays from its formidable core, the Cool Smashers have practically been untouched here, and what’s scary is that, even with their advance, coach Sherwin Meneses keeps on harping the same tune of wanting his players to keep improving.
“The team mindset is always to improve every game … even if we are on top. The result will always follow,” Meneses said in Filipino. “If we still improve while we are on top, we would be harder to beat. We will still improve in our last three games before the semifinals.”
Creamline started out on a whimper and needed to rally to claim the first set. After that, it was the same Cool Smashers squad that ran roughshod on the Chameleons.
Still breathing
Meanwhile, Akari fanned its flickering hopes of advancing after a similar straight sets conquest of Galeries Tower in the first game.
A 25-14, 25-21, 25-19 victory had Akari improving to 5-4, but the Chargers would need no less than a sweep of their last three games to even entertain thoughts of gaining a playoff for the last semifinal berth.
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After ending a losing streak with a victory against Gerflor in Cagayan de Oro over the weekend, the Chargers only needed an hour and 23 minutes to deal the Highrisers an eighth straight defeat.
“We are really trying to use these remaining games so we can rebuild our confidence because we came from consecutive losses,” middle blocker Fifi Sharma said. “[The losses] were heavy for the team’s morale.
“We are slowly and step-by-step rebuilding [our confidence]. I feel like this [win] is a good achievement for the team because we have produced a convincing win,” added Sharma, who finished with 12 points on 10 attacks and 2 blocks.
Meneses is practically warning the field that even with things seemingly being easy for his charges, the Cool Smashers are not about to take things lightly. Especially with the stakes getting higher come the semifinals.
“The players are waking up at 4 a.m., there is no complacency. You can see in the practices that they don’t stop learning. If you get lazy during practices, that is when complacency shows,” Meneses said. “They are always all-out during the game, nobody is not giving 100 percent.”
Jema Galanza’s 14 points that counted four aces led the Cool Smashers, who also drew 12 points each from Michele Gumabao and Tots Carlos.
Creamline’s final games will be against a young and promising Chery Tiggo squad, Galeries and then Akari, which had a 3-1 start only to lose a string at a critical junction in the past week.
The Crossovers are also within a win of advancing with a 7-1 card like Choco Mucho, which is playing PLDT at press time.
A win by the Flying Titans, whose only loss was dealt by the Cool Smashers in the inaugurals, would give them the second semifinal berth.
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Charismatic Creamline skipper Alyssa Valdez scored seven points in a two-set stint, obviously being broken in slowly by Meneses in preparation for the playoffs.