Creamline Cool Smashers PVL All-Filipino champions
THE CREAMLINE Cool Smashers, like everybody else in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), will get the rest that they all deserve following one of the toughest, if not the toughest, conferences in league history.
But there is a certain air in the Cool Smashers that when they return from their much needed respite, you could be assured they will be back in the hunting grounds of preying on everybody as alpha predators and collecting championships.
“For now, we just celebrate,” said triumphant Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses late Sunday night, moments after he steered the dynastic franchise to an unmatched league record eighth championship with a two-game finals sweep and spanking of younger sibling Choco Mucho.
It would also be the start of the proud club’s soul-searching of what it needed to do to keep up with the forever revolving improvement of the league landscape and rival squads eyeing to tear down its dynastic reign.
And it would begin inside every Creamline team member.
“Our losses were our lessons,” said Creamline unquestioned leader and the country’s face of the sport — Alyssa Valdez.
“It was really a difficult conference for us, probably because we’re really trying to figure out where are we at this point in our lives and our career and as a team where to improve.”
“But at the end of the day, we take this win as hope to all of us that no matter what, before coming into the semis, there is hope and chance that you cannot give up,” she added.
There is also the one concerning the big possibility, if not an inevitable occurrence, of veteran setter Jia de Guzman returning to the team after a stint in Japan last year.
“Yes,” said Meneses, when asked if Ms. De Guzman is returning to the team.
“She will always be with Creamline,” he added.
Creamline could also add some young blood via the historic first rookie draft by the league tentatively set in July when it will pick 12th and last being the champion of this conference.
If the pieces fit in and the stars align again, there is a chance fate would make a prophet out of reigning Finals MVP Jema Galanza, who blurted out what could be immortal words and portents of things to come for the rest of the field: “We will make it nine, 10, 11 forever.” —