Creamline, KingWhale dispute PVL crown

CREAMLINE and Taiwanese club KingWhale battle for the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference title in the knockout championship game on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The gold medal match is set at 5:30 p.m. after the battle for third between PLDT and Cignal at 2:30 p.m.

The Creamline Cool Smashers, champions of the Open Conference, made it back to the finals after they went 3-0 in the round robin semifinals, defeating Black Mamba Army, PLDT and Cignal.

After picking up their third win against Cignal last Monday, the Cool Smashers secured their final berth with the help of KingWhale, which defeated the then 2-win and 1-loss PLDT (now 2-2) last Tuesday — having Creamline clinch at least a top two finish in the process.

KingWhale’s win over PLDT was its second in the semis and it picked up its third win and the last final berth after outlasting the Cool Smashers on Friday, 25-15, 17-25, 25-22, 24-26, 15-5.

That victory set up KingWhale, which was playing its last semis game against Cignal (1-2) at press time, in a rematch against Creamline with no less than the championship at stake.

Creamline, though, wasn’t at full strength against KingWhale on Friday, as the Cool Smashers played without key players Jema Galanza and Jeanette Panaga who were nursing injuries.

Creamline even lost star players Alyssa Valdez to a left ankle injury in the third set, and she could not return to the game where the Cool Smashers’ second stringers led by Michelle Gumabao put up a brave stand against the still unbeaten KingWhale in the fourth and fifth sets.

Galanza, Panaga and Valdez, however, are expected to return in the final game.

“Alyssa is not only our team captain, she’s also the glue to our team. Her injury is not too bad, and she said she’s OK. She can still walk,” said Gumabao.

“We’re just really praying that it will be better tomorrow. We’re looking forward to her playing this Sunday and, hopefully, it’s nothing serious. But knowing Alyssa, she will still pray whatever pain she’s going through,” she added.

Valdez still finished with 11 points despite her premature exit, and she certainly impressed her former coach Teng Yen-Min with what she showed.

Teng was the coach of the Attack Line in the Taiwan league, where Valdez played in 2017.

“Alyssa [moves well] and is good. We met in the player meeting, and I told every player that Alyssa is good. She can control the ball, can attack, can dig, and she’s smart. She is a great player,” said Teng.

Meanwhile, the Creamline management has not yet given a word at press time whether or not they will represent the Philippines in the AVC Cup for Women after being the best local team in the conference.