GAMES TODAY
(Philsports Arena)
10 a.m. – VTV Binh Dien Long An vs Baic Motor (Pool C)
1 p.m. – Nakhon Ratchasima vs Queensland (Pool D)
4 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Taipower (Pool B)
7 p.m. – Zhetysu vs Creamline (Pool A)
CREAMLINE battled jitters and chemistry concerns on the way to 29-27, 25-20, 25-19 victory over Al Naser of Jordan at the Philsports Arena yesterday and took the early Pool A lead in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League.
After their tough loss in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Finals that ended their historic reign, the Cool Smashers needed to dig deep to turn back the Jordanians in the opening set.
The Cool Smashers worked to find rhythm and cohesion with two of their three new imports seeing action for the first time.
“It was a good fight, and we’re very grateful we got the win,” said Alyssa Valdez, who emerged as the Best Player of the Game with 10 points, including seven on attacks. “Even if they’re young, we had to give it our all. They train hard, too, and they’ll find ways to score.”
Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses tried different combinations early, particularly in the setter rotation, as he tried to integrate American reinforcement Erica Staunton and Kazakh middle blocker Anastassiya Kolomoyets and Russian outside hitter Anastasya Kudryashova into the locally dominated core.
The rotation of Rhea Villarete and Kyle Negrito in the setter spot proved instrumental in stabilizing the team and allowing wing spikers to find their groove.
Staunton, familiar to fans for her standout performances during last year’s Grand Slam run, once again showed why she’s a vital asset, bringing consistent firepower and composure during crucial moments.
“Playing with three imports is new for us,” added Valdez. “We never had this kind of experience before. Communication is key, and we’re working on it. Our system is different, so integrating them into our style takes time.”
The win mirrored the dominant starts of Kaohsiung Taipower (Pool B) and Beijing Baic Motor (Pool C) in the four-group, 12-club tournament that features top teams from 10 countries, including three representatives from the host nation.
Those victories brought them a step closer to the quarterfinals of the eight-day championship, which is supported by Mikasa, Mizuno, and Grand Sport as federation partners.
“Importante yung game ngayon kasi I think makaka-ensayo pa kami ng ilang days para sa adjustment sa three imports, especially doon sa two imports na bago namin. I think one to two days pa, magiging maganda na yung performance namin (This game was important because I think we’ll still have a few days to train and adjust with our three imports, especially with the two new ones. I think in a day or two, our performance will really improve),” said Meneses.
