C Smashers stop Fighting Warays

MANILA, Philippines — Foiled in a match it was expected to win, Creamline came back and unleashed its full might to clip a surging Tacloban side, 25-15, 25-21, 25-15, and get on track of its title drive in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan late Wednesday.

“It’s actually a wake-up call and we hope to learn from it,” said top player Alyssa Valdez, referring to their stumbling start in the season-ending conference of the league that saw them lose steam in the fifth set and drop a 25-27, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19, 5-15 setback to the PetroGazz Angels last week.

It was a shock loss for a team which ruled the Reinforced Conference early in the season and headed to the Open tilt brimming with confidence following a training camp in Thailand.

“We were so frustrated as a team since we didn’t expect to lose that way as we’ve been training hard for the past few months,” added Valdez.

But if their emphatic three-set romp over the Fighting Warays would be any indication, the Cool Smashers could be back as the favorites to make it two in a row this season.

Valdez, however, was quick to tone down expectations of her team, stressing the need for them to toughen up to become a real championship squad.