Creamline refused to let an early stumble dictate its night. After a sluggish opening set, the Cool Smashers rediscovered their rhythm and rolled past the Nxled Chameleons, 20-25, 25-13, 25-16, 25-18, in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Thursday, November 6.

The defending champions tightened their floor coverage, sharpened their serve pressure, and turned up the pace on offense, flipping the match into a one-sided showcase once they settled in. What began with miscues and hesitation quickly transformed into the fluid, composed Creamline attack that has defined their dynasty run.

“We just needed to settle down and clean up our execution,” said Best Player of the Game Michele Gumabao, who fired 13 points including two blocks and two aces. “Once we communicated better and followed the game plan, everything flowed.”

Creamline climbed to 4-2 to reinforce its spot inside the top four and position itself favorably for a quarterfinal berth. Tougher assignments await with Choco Mucho on Nov. 13 at the Araneta Coliseum and Cignal on Nov. 18 at the Ynares Center in Montalban — contests that could shape their postseason path.

Champions flip momentum and seize full control

Coco Schwan led Creamline with 14 points, while Pangs Panaga and Tots Carlos added 12 and 11, respectively. Beyond the offense, Schwan anchored the floor defense with 14 digs and 15 receptions, stabilizing the Cool Smashers from the back row.

Creamline topped Nxled in blocks (10-6) and aces (10-5) and made the Chameleons pay heavily for lapses, converting 27 points from errors while committing only 13. Once the Cool Smashers’ first-ball control clicked, they steamrolled through the final three sets, mixing wing strikes and quick plays to break down Nxled’s coverage and timing at the net.

Even when Nxled trimmed a fourth-set deficit to five, Creamline never wavered, closing strong with a composed finish to end the match in one hour and 44 minutes.

Nxled bows out as Creamline strengthens bid

Import Paola Martinez delivered 18 points, while Chiara Permentilla chipped in 14 for Nxled. However, the Chameleons could not sustain their first-set spark and were officially eliminated from quarterfinal contention after falling to 0-6.

Creamline’s experience and chemistry carried the night, and the performance served as a reminder — when the Cool Smashers steady themselves, very few teams in the league can match their pace and precision.