CREAMLINE sustained its winning run yesterday, scoring a 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 victory over Capital1 to seize the lead in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Open spiker Jema Galanza flirted with a triple-double of 12 points, 10 digs and five excellent receptions while Tots Carlos, who returned to the court after playing last November 23, added 10 markers as the Cool Smashers improved to 5-0 while handing the Solar Spikers their fifth loss in six games.
Playmaker Kyle Negrito dished out 14 excellent sets along with a service ace while middle blocker Bea De Leon and skipper Alyssa Valdez combined for 15 points for the Cool Smashers.
“Thankful ako sa mga players lalo na sa dalawang (Carlos and Valdez) nagbabalik na key players namin so happy kami kasi nagiging healthy, mas healthy iyong team namin lalo na’t mahaba iyong conference. Talagang kailangan is tulong-tulong talaga sa paglalaro. So happy ako kasi nakabalik na sila. Iyon iyong number 1,” Creamline mentor Sherwin Meneses said.
Earlier, Cignal erased the stigma of a numbing straight-sets defeat and trounced Galeries Tower 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 to improve to 5-1 in a tie with Petro Gazz.
Vanie Gandler, stepping into a leadership role following the departure of skipper Ces Molina and Riri Meneses after the holiday break, had 17 points, her relentless hitting set the tone for Cignal’s dominant win as the HD Spikers showed they remain a powerhouse even without two of their brightest stars.
The swift one-hour and 31-minute victory served as a redemption following their previous shutout loss to the Petro Gazz Angels last Dec. 14. That defeat, which ended a four-game winning streak, allowed the Angels to claim the solo lead before the break.
Gandler was well-supported on offense, with Rose Doria-Aquino, Jacqueline Acuña and Ishie Lalongisip each contributing nine points, while Judith Abil added seven.
The game’s top performer was defense specialist Dawn Catindig, who anchored the floor defense with 19 excellent digs, ensuring that Galeries Tower’s attacks were swiftly neutralized.
“We wanted to apply everything we’ve worked on in training,” said Catindig, who downplayed her stellar showing and credited the entire team for the victory. “I’m very proud of the team, everyone stepped up.”
Setter Gel Cayuna also shone, orchestrating Cignal’s offense with 15 excellent sets while scoring three points of her own. Cayuna’s precise playmaking kept Galeries Tower’s defense guessing and allowed every Cignal player to contribute, including Caroline Santos, who sealed the game with a quick hit in the final moments.