Batangas—Creamline brandished its strength and readiness to defend the All-Filipino crown in the absence of two of its top anchors, overpowering Cignal, 25-20, 25-20, 25-16 in their highly-anticipated duel in the PVL (Premier Volleyball League) on Tour match at the Batangas City Sports Coliseum here late Saturday.
Talk about consistency and Michele Gumabao underscored this by dishing out a second straight 20-point game to lead the Cool Smashers past the HD Spikers in a one-hour, 27-minute romp that highlighted the depth and quality of the defending champions’ roster, going 2-0 even without ace playmaker Jia de Guzman and top middle Ced Domingo, who are now both playing overseas.
“Medyo nagkapalitan ng tao sa crucial stretch but we were able to adjust and execute,” said the heavy-handed Gumabao, who produced 19 attack points, setting the tone for the Cool Smashers’ romp with a series of stinging kills in the first set. “It’s all about preparation, so konting adjustment na lang at execution.”
With Kyle Negrito stepping up for de Guzman, the Cool Smashers’ vaunted offensive game continued to flourish with Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza backing Gumabao with 10 and four points, respectively, and Pangs Panaga manning the middle with clout to finish with seven markers to the cheers of majority of more than 4,000 fans.
In contrast, the HD Spikers, who upended the PLDT High Speed Hitters in four in last week’s inaugurals of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision, failed to measure up with the Cool Smashers’ heads-up game all throughout. While they were able to keep the game close in the early going of each frame, they couldn’t keep pace with their rivals’ strong finishing kick.
A Galanza attack error stalled Creamline momentarily at 24-16 but Carlos closed out with a blast from the back row that went long but hit the hands of the HD Spikers’ defenders.
Ces Molina fired 17 points but failed to draw the needed support the way she did against the High Speed Hitters as Vanie Gandler slowed down with six points after a strong 12-point outing the first time out.
Jovelyn Gonzaga, who missed Cignal’s initial outing to honor a military commitment, also scored six points but Chin Basas, who also put in a 12-point game against PLDT, was held to just three points and Jackie Acuña went scoreless after an eight-point showing last week.
So deep was Creamline’s bench that Bernadette Pons, who topscored with 22 points against Choco Mucho, sat out the match to rest.
The victory, Creamline’s sixth in eight games in their head-to-head duel with Cignal, thus forged a three-way tie for the lead with idle Chery Tiggo and Petro Gazz, which had to go through some anxious moments before holding off a late-charging Gerflor side and carving a 25-11, 25-4, 25-23 victory in the first game.
Nicole Tiamzon banged in back-to-back crosscourt attacks at endgame to frustrate the Defenders, who battled back from a couple of six-point deficits, the last at 11-17, to draw level at 22 on Lhara Clavano’s two straight hits.