Creamline needed every ounce of poise to survive Capital1 on Thursday, October 29, and Jema Galanza supplied it when a 10-point lead nearly vanished. The Cool Smashers took sole possession of first place in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Creamline beat Capital1, 25-18, 31-29, 25-16, at Santiago Sports Arena for its fourth straight win in the Siklab Series. The Solar Spikers fell to 2-3 after a rally that came up just short of a stunning second-set steal.

Jema Galanza Delivers in Clutch

Galanza finished with 16 points and 11 excellent receptions, earning Best Player of the Game honors. She hammered home the decisive attack in Set 2 after Capital1 erased a 10-point deficit and drew level twice, the last time at 22.

Creamline squandered five chances to close the set, and a successful Capital1 challenge added to the tension. Kyle Negrito then broke the deadlock with a clever 1-2 play to give the Cool Smashers set point.

Capital1 struggled to handle an overpass, and Ezra Madrigal’s soft quick left the ball in play for Galanza to finish. “We just enjoy the game and give our best, even under pressure,” Galanza said in Filipino.

“Those moments were exciting, but the most important thing for us was to finish the game. That’s what we work on during training. Perhaps that was a lesson for us, so we’ll know what to do in our upcoming games,” she said.

Creamline Depth Overwhelms Capital1

Bernadeth Pons came off the bench to score 11 points, while Alyssa Valdez, Pangs Panaga and Tots Carlos added seven, six and five, respectively. The scoring depth gave Creamline answers whenever Capital1 pushed back.

Creamline piled up 51 attack points, 11 more than Capital1, and outblocked the Solar Spikers, 10-4. The Cool Smashers also contained Capital1’s vaunted trio of hitters in the 1-hour, 37-minute match.

Bella Belen led Capital1 with 13 points, followed by Vanie Gandler with 10 and Cherry Nunag with nine. Erika Santos was held to five points as the Solar Spikers could not overcome Creamline’s balance.

“We will always give our best and make sure everyone gives their best effort,” Galanza said after the quick sweep. With the semifinal round looming, she said the team will keep relying on collective effort and commitment.