Creamline beats Chery Tiggo for PVL Invitational bronze.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Creamline swept Chery Tiggo to capture its 19th consecutive podium finish in the PVL Invitational, 25-15, 25-13, 25-22, on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After a failed title-retention bid with a 2-3 finish in the preliminary round, the Cool Smashers cruised to a second straight bronze medal finish, following the PVL on Tour.
READ: PVL Invitational: Creamline ends skid behind Jema Galanza
Michele Gumabao anchored Creamline’s balanced attack with 17 points on a 58 percent efficiency.
Gumabao, last year’s Invitational MVP, denied Chery Tiggo from extending the match, breaking a 22-deadlock with three consecutive kills for her team’s fifth overall bronze medal to go with 10 titles and four runner-up finishes.
“For me, there’s still so much more we can do. So many things we can adjust as a team. Our work doesn’t stop here. Even though we’ve now made it to the podium 19 times, our team still has room for improvement, especially with new players coming in. So we’ll keep working hard this offseason to prepare for the next conference,” said Gumabao after dropping 14 kills and three blocks.
The Cool Smashers scored nine unanswered points in the second set, capped by Jema Galanza for a 16-8 lead, and never looked back en route to a commanding two-set advantage.
Galanza had 12 points, seven digs, and seven excellent receptions. Alyssa Valdez delivered nine points, 18 receptions, and 13 digs, while Pangs Panaga had seven points.
READ: PVL: Kobe Shinwa redeems self, upsets Creamline
“Of course, I’m thankful to the players. They really gave their 100 percent in this game. Whether it’s for third place, fourth, or the finals, Creamline is always there. The players really worked hard today, so I’m truly grateful to them,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses.
Lorie Bernardo was also instrumental, scoring all of her six points in the third set.
Creamline also avenged its five-set meltdown against Chery Tiggo in the prelims, dealing the latter back-to-back losses to end the tournament.
PVL on Tour runner-up Chery Tiggo, which blew a two-set lead against Kobe Shinwa on Friday, settled for fourth place.
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Ara Galang was the lone double-digit scorer for the Crossovers with 10 points on top of five digs. Cess Robles had nine points and five receptions.
