MANILA, Philippes – In the semifinals of the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, Creamline defeated F2 Logistics thanks in large part to the performance of opposite spiker Michele Gumabao, 30, of La Salle. Gumabao, who had trouble versus F2 Logistics in their previous encounter, made up for it in Game One by making critical hits and tallying 20 significant points.

Gumabao made critical blunders in the elimination round’s five-set loss against F2 Logistics, finishing with 14 total points but failing to deliver when it mattered most. For her team’s sake, she was resolved to recover for them in the semifinals, where she had a new attitude. In the four-set match that lasted two hours and 20 minutes, Gumabao’s performance was crucial to Creamline’s victory. He scored three of the Cool Smashers’ final six points.

Gumabao acknowledged her desire to improve upon her prior performance and thanked her teammates and coaches for their everlasting faith in her after the game.

They didn’t lose faith in me, so I just needed to keep trying until I succeeded,” she added.

Gumabao admitted that despite winning, the team still needs to work on its mistakes and has potential for progress. In contrast to F2 Logistics’ 22, the Cool Smashers made 29 mistakes during the game. In order to improve before their next game, Gumabao underlined that they must address their flaws and mistakes throughout practice.

F2 Logistics was restricted to just 38 points in the game while Creamline relied on its attacking skills to score a total of 69 points. Gumabao also emphasized how their coach constantly serves as a reminder that their opponents are not their primary worry.

Better late than never, it’s wonderful that we won here in the semifinals, but as our coach often points out, it’s not really about our opponent that we should be concerned about.

Gumabao’s comeback in Game One demonstrated her fortitude and will to recover from a challenging game. She will surely feature in Creamline’s forthcoming matches because of the crucial role she played in their triumph against F2 Logistics. 

Gumabao and the Cool Smashers are focused on correcting their mistakes and retaining their offensive brilliance as they get ready for Game Two in order to guarantee their place in the championship round.