As expected, the road to immortality did not come easy for the Creamline Cool Smashers as they became the first team to win a rare Grand Slam feat in the Premier Volleyball League.

They always credit their championship wins to experience. After all, they have accumulated 10 titles including the recent Invitational Conference against a tough Cignal crew.

But experience could only take you so far as far as veteran spiker Michele Gumabao was concerned.

“Yung experience, it will help you calm your nerves. Pero yung sa game kanina, and with the whole conference, hindi lang siya test of skills. It’s also a test of conditioning, physical, emotional... lahat na,” said Gumabao, who was later adjudged the Conference Most Valuable Player.

Indeed, it tested not only their mental resolve, but also their physical conditioning. The conference only lasted for one week, and came merely days after the Reinforced Conference, which the Cool Smashers won.

“Games won't be easy, especially in the finals. But this conference, pinakamahirap siya in a way na first time kaming naka-experience na tuluy-tuloy yung game,” admitted Gumabao.

Against the HD Spikers in this conference, their experience and mental resolve were put to test anew. They prevailed, but not after crawling back from a 2-1 set deficit to clinch the 21-25, 25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13 title victory.

But more than those, it was the character and camaraderie that brought them to the pinnacle of success.

“Naabot namin to dahil sa tiwala namin sa isa’t isa, at sa tiwala namin sa mga coaches namin. ahit na may mga nawala sa team namin, nagawan namin ng paraan kasi kaming mga natira, alam namin yung bawat role namin pagdating sa loob ng court,” said setter Kyle Negrito, who claimed the Finals MVP plum.

Winning the championship may be becoming all too familiar for the Cool Smashers, but that did not stop them from achieving more.

“Every championship, may mga natutunan kami. This conference, natutunan namin na maging ready palagi. Magtulungan, ibigay yung 100 percent sa court,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses.

“Hopefully dumami pa yung panalo namin, at mas matutunan pa naming lalong magtulungan sa court,” he added.