MANILA, Philippines – American spiker Erica Staunton has joined Creamline as an import for the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference. The six-foot-one giant will join the Cool Smashers, the organization announced on Thursday.

Having attended Northeastern University for her first four years of college before getting her master’s degree at the University of Georgia, Staunton, 24, offers a plethora of expertise to the squad.

Staunton left a lasting impression on Northeastern, winning two All-CAA team selections and entering the exclusive 1,000 Kill Club.

Staunton made the switch from collegiate to professional volleyball after having a great career. In her rookie season, she played for the Finnish team Oriveden Ponnistus.

Her arrival is anticipated to enhance the team’s performance as they seek to surpass their 2022 Reinforced Conference third-place result.

Staunton will try to assist Creamline in winning the Reinforced Conference championship for the first time since 2018, even before the league’s professional status.

She is positioned in front of a group of local players that includes Tots Carlos, Michele Gumabao, Alyssa Valdez, and Jeanette Panaga. Whether or not national team players like Jema Galanza and Jia Morado-De Guzman will be allowed to suit up for the women in pink is still up in the air.

Staunton joins Khat Bell of Chery Tiggo and Lena Samoilenko of PLDT as the two other foreign players announced for the next competition.

Staunton’s Records in America

Erica Staunton has won a lot of awards throughout her time playing volleyball in college. She was selected for the following teams: the 2022 All-CAA First Team, the 2022 Preseason All-CAA, the 2021 Preseason All-CAA, the 2020–21 All-CAA First Team, and the 2022 All-ECAC Second Team. Her 2022 year was especially noteworthy; she earned a berth on the Northwestern All-Tournament Team with her 37 kills in the Northwestern Tournament, among other remarkable accomplishments. In a match against Delaware, Staunton racked up 26 kills; against Elon, he had consecutive games with 25 kills.

In the match against William & Mary, she recorded her 1,000th career kill and broke the record for most kills in a season by averaging 4.01 per set. She ended the season with 246 kills, the most for a junior on her squad, and was named the CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Week on October 25, 2021. She was also listed on the Honor Roll of the CAA Fall Commissioner.

Erica Staunton for the PVL

The team posted, “We’re excited to announce that Erica Staunton, a dynamic 23-year-old American open and opposite spiker, is joining the Creamline Cool Smashers family.” Her skill, enthusiasm, and enthusiasm will undoubtedly energize our staff even more.

The most successful PVL team, which just finished an unprecedented “four-peat” in the All-Filipino Conference, welcomes the 6-foot-1 dynamic spiker, who also has professional experience in Finland with the Oriveden Ponnistus.

Alyssa Valdez, Bernadeth Pons, Michele Gumabao, Pangs Panaga, Bea De Leon, Kyle Negrito, and Denden Lazaro-Revilla are the team members Staunton is collaborating with.

Jia De Guzman, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza, players for Alas Pilipinas, are still questionable for the midseason conference because the country will participate in several FIVB Challenger Cup and SEA V.League competitions.

Creamline last claimed the Reinforced Conference championship with an import in 2018. Since then, the trophy has been elusive. In 2022, the Cool Smashers had to settle for bronze after losing to the Petro Gazz Angels five years prior.

After PLDT welcomed back Elena Samoilenko and Chery Tiggo welcomed Khat Bell, Creamline was the third PVL team to reveal their reinforcement.

September’s Invitational Conference, which includes two international guest clubs, will be open to the top four teams in the Reinforced Conference.