With its stars returning to action, there’s no doubt that Creamline is back to its usual championship form. And a 3-0 start to zoom to the top of the PVL All-Filipino Conference is a clear indication of that.
The league’s winningest team has very little left to prove—even in this very long conference—and playmaker Kyle Negrito said that the defending champions are going to take their sweet time.
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“One thing about my team is we aren’t thinking that far [another championship] yet,” the setter out of Far Eastern U told the Inquirer in Filipino as Creamline looks to get the most out of the relaxed schedule. “The good thing about this conference is that there’s a huge gap between games, so it’s good for our [body] recovery.”
READ: PVL: Creamline denies Choco Mucho again to stay perfect
The Cool Smashers can get the time to cool their heels, more so after a 25-22, 25-20, 30-32, 25-20 marathon win over sister team Choco Mucho Tuesday night, a two-hour and 21 minute affair witnessed by 9,551 screaming fans at the Big Dome.
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It’s the latest testimony that Creamline has not lost the appetite for success, and the Cool Smashers are armed to the teeth this time especially with Alyssa Valdez returning.
Valdez and Jema Galanza, who poured in 24 points, led the Cool Smashers against the Flying Titans as they worked up a sweat against a fellow glamor team that has been itching to unseat them for the longest time.
It was just the game the Cool Smashers needed, especially after their first two outings were straight sets conquests of Petro Gazz and Akari.
Invitational Conference MVP Michele Gumabao tossed in 22 points in filling in for Tots Carlos, who was placed on “load management” protocols by the team.
A game they needed
After being challenged by the Flying Titans in the latest installment of a sure-fire box-office hit, Negrito knows that they cannot feel confident.
“The other teams are really leveling up, you can’t take any team for granted because a lot can happen especially with the big gaps between games,” Negrito, who finished with 21 excellent saves against Choco Mucho, said.
Negrito also did not fail to thank Creamline fans in particular and PVL followers in general, which she said spurs the players on to do better every time.
With the chance to recharge, study and prepare for opponents more because of the long gaps, the Cool Smashers are just going to enjoy the time they have before the chance to gun for another All-Filipino crown comes.
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There’s just one downside that Negrito sees in playing this long tournament: “It makes us impatient [waiting for the next game] and I am sure the fans also get impatient.
“But we really can’t dwell on that, because if you get impatient, you lose,” she said. “So our mindset is to not rush.”