MANILA, Philippines –  Creamline, which has not lost a match, extended its dominant run in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference by defeating Nxled, which has not won a match, with a score of 25-12, 25-21, and 25-19 at the Philsports Arena. The Cool Smashers achieved a record of 6-0 with this victory, and they tied the Petro Gazz Angels (6-1) at the top of the standings with 17 points. This win also brought them to the halfway point of the preliminary round.

The defending champions finished the match in only one hour and 27 minutes, but they did have some anxious moments during the third set. Creamline was trailing by 15-18 when it used two important challenges to turn the tide in its favor. The margin was trimmed to 17-18 after a successful net fault challenge, and the game was knotted at 18 after another ball-in/out challenge that followed Tots Carlos’ big hit. Creamline was able to take a 19-18 lead after the call was reversed, which led to a decisive 9-0 run that secured the win.

Bea de Leon then executed a crucial rapid attack, and Alyssa Valdez followed with a precise kill, extending the margin to 24-18. Carlos was able to win in the end with a strong finishing attack, even though May Luna of Nxled was able to delay the outcome with a hit through the block. Creamline’s fourth shutout win in six matches was achieved with this triumph.

Setter Kyle Negrito said that the team was having a hard time in the third set, saying that it was due to a brief feeling of relaxation. However, she stressed that the team was still committed and persistent, understanding that at this point in the conference, there is no time to be complacent. Negrito was named the Best Player of the Game for the second match in a row after delivering 15 excellent sets and contributing three points.

Bernadeth Pons and Carlos led the offensive surge, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively. Valdez scored seven points, while Pangs Panaga, Lorie Bernardo, Jema Galanza, and de Leon each scored five points, demonstrating the balanced attack of Creamline. On the other side, Jaycel delos Reyes was the top scorer for Nxled with seven points, while Lycha Ebon, Lucille Almonte, and Luna each scored six points. The Chameleons fell to 0-8 in the rankings, even though they tried hard.

Despite the challenges that Creamline encountered in the third match, the team outperformed Nxled in several important statistical areas. The Cool Smashers were better than their opponents in spikes (50-26), blocks (6-2), and aces (4-0). They made 24 unforced errors, while the Chameleons made 15. This commanding performance made up for the fact that they had a match that was full of mistakes.

Creamline showed its strength, experience, and determination for the entire contest. The Cool Smashers took control of the first set, moving away from a close score of 12-10. Creamline was able to take complete control of the game and finish the set with a score of 25-12 thanks to de Leon’s rapid consecutive assaults and Pons’s constant scoring.

The second set was more difficult since Creamline almost lost a 19-14 lead. Nxled went on a 7-1 rally, which was made possible by Creamline’s mistakes and hesitant plays, bringing the score to 19-20. However, an offensive error by Luna halted Nxled’s momentum, allowing the Cool Smashers to regroup. Galanza, Michele Gumabao, and Panaga made important plays that helped win the set. Galanza’s brilliantly timed off-speed shot tricked the Chameleons’ defense.

Creamline kept its cool and established a 2-0 lead, even though it gave up 10 free points in the second set, while Nxled only gave up four.

Creamline is now one step closer to completing a sweep of the preliminary round thanks to this victory. If the Cool Smashers keep playing the way they are and Nxled continues to have difficulties, the two teams might face each other again in the knockout stage of the tournament, which follows the league’s top-versus-lower seed system. The Cool Smashers are determined to keep their momentum going as they work toward making another deep playoff run in the Premier Volleyball League.