Creamline reaffirmed its mastery over Petro Gazz with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 triumph Thursday, Nov. 24, at the start of the semifinals in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Cool Smashers had to dig deep in the third set after trailing 17-13 before rising to the occasion and claim their first win in the round-robin phase.
The win duplicated Creamline’s preliminaries feat against Petro Gazz last Oct. 18, where the Cool Smashers prevailed 25-19, 16-25, 25-18, 27-25.
While Yeliz Basa proved to be a force to reckon with in the offensive lane by firing 16 kills to finish with 17 points, it was Ced Domingo who came through with clutch attacks that gave the Cool Smashers the crucial win.
Tied at 23-all following back-to-back kills from MJ Phillips and Lindsey Vander Weide, Domingo answered back with three straight quick spikes that sealed the win for Creamline.
Domingo finished with 10 points.
Jema Galanza and Alyssa Valdez also steered the Cool Smashers with 14 and 11 points, while Jia De Guzman distributed the ball well with 19 excellent sets.
“Everyone really went back to the basics (in the third set),” said De Guzman.
“We know naghahabol kami and coach really did a great job in keeping the team composed.”
Offense proved to be Creamline’s key to victory after erupting for 53 kills compared to 37 from Petro Gazz.
The Cool Smashers also took advantage of the Angels’ weak serves, covering all bases.
Vander Weide finished with 16 points in a losing cause for Petro Gazz, while Phillips and Aiza Pontillas scored 11 and 10.