The Creamline Cool Smashers swept the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-18, 27-25, 25-22, to draw first blood in the best-of-three semifinals of the 2023 PVL 2nd All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Hard-hitting Jema Galanza led the Cool Smashers' firepower with 17 points built on 16 attacks and 1 block, while Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez contributed 15 and 12 markers, respectively.
Meanwhile, Eya Laure paced Chery Tiggo with 18 points.
Laure started hot for the Crossovers in the opening chapter, but Creamline pulled away as they built a 20-14 lead and never looked back.
Consecutive sharp hits from Galanza, Valdez, and Tots Carlos clinched the opening chapter for the Cool Smashers.
The Cool Smashers actually had the 22-19 lead in the second frame, but they lost it to the resilient Crossovers, who reached the first set point courtesy of Laure who scored off the block, 24-22.
But the defending champions surged once more, as their net defense worked wonders to land a deuce point at 24-all.
Valdez did the rest for the pink-coded jerseys with a personal 3-1 run, including the set-clinching service ace for a 2-0 lead over Crossovers.
"We all know Chery (Tiggo) will give us a good fight. Every point, we'll have to work hard talaga. 'Yun lang 'yung naka-mindset sa amin. Buo 'yung tiwala ng bawat isa sa bawat players na nasa loob at nasa labas, and mga coaches," Valdez said in the post-game conference.
The Crossovers established a 17-15 lead in the third set, but Creamline pushed back with a 5-0 run, starting with Valdez who found the hole in Chery Tiggo's defense with a sharp spike.
As Creamline held on to its unsafe lead, Kyle Negrito committed a service error which gave her rivals a point, 23-21.
Pangs Panaga scored off the block which gave Creamline the match point, 24-21, but Galanza's attack error gave Chery Tiggo little hope of a return.
Panaga's defense propelled Creamline once more as she blocked Mylene Paat to seal the deal, 25-22.
The continuation of the Creamline-Chery Tiggo semifinal bout will be on Saturday, December 9, at the same venue. Game time is at 6 p.m.
"Hindi pa tapos 'yung laban. Kailangan pa namin ng one game pa para makapasok sa finals," coach Sherwin Meneses said to reporters.
"Training muna ulit kami tomorrow, then tingnan namin 'yung mga lapses namin para maging maganda pa 'yung lalaruin namin," he added.
