The Creamline Cool Smashers booked the first ticket to the 2023 PVL All-Filipino Conference finals with a Game 2 ouster of the F2 Cargo Movers, 25-22, 25-23, 25-16, at the jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday, March 21.
With the series win, the multi-titled franchise is now headed to its fifth straight All-Filipino finals, its eighth overall, and possibly its first without superstar Alyssa Valdez.
In her stead, team captain Jia de Guzman steered the ship properly, as expected, with 25 excellent sets, while two-time MVP Tots Carlos topscored with 19 points. Jema Galanza also scattered 11 points, 15 excellent digs, and 12 excellent receptions as Ced Domingo also scored 11.
Following an airtight second set where Galanza buried three straight points to help the team earn a commanding 2-0 lead, Creamline broke away comfortably in the third with a pivotal 9-3 run capped by a Domingo quick attack that turned a 9-7 lead to a huge 18-10 gap.
F2 only got as near as 6, 12-18, before a mix of Cool Smashers kills and Cargo Movers errors pushed the game to the finish line, 25-16, off a final Galanza crosscourt kill.
“Of course, we’re very happy because knowing F2, they are really a solid team this conference,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses in Filipino. “We’re happy that the game didn’t go to four or five sets because we know how tough they are as opponents.”
Conference MVP candidate Kianna Dy was the lone F2 player in double-digit scoring with 11 points, while Myla Pablo chipped in 9 points in her return from a two-game injury layoff.
Creamline now awaits the winner of the Petro Gazz-PLDT series that will conclude on Thursday, March 23, at 5 pm.
