CREAMLINE has toiled long and hard to reach a record sixth straight finals appearance in the V-League club era while moving three sets away from nailing a fourth championship and a third Open crown, so coach Sherwin Meneses is virtually unburdened by the pressure that comes with accomplishing such a hard mission.
“We’re thankful that we got Game One. Winning it is a big deal because the pressure is now on the other side,” said Meneses after the Cool Smashers survived the Petro Gazz Angels’ gritty stand to hack out a 25-16, 23-25, 25-12, 32-30 victory in the opener of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference title series at the packed MOA Arena late Wednesday.
Back in the same spot as they were last year, Meneses guaranteed a different ending this time.
“What happened last year was a lesson to us,” he said, referring to the league’s pro inaugurals in Iloilo Norte where they edged the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in five games in the opener of the best-of-three finals but dropped the next in four and lost the sudden death in an epic five-set thriller.
One thing going for the Cool Smashers as they set out for the clincher — and a rare sweep of the championship — is that Petro Gazz top hitter Grethcel Soltones remains a doubtful starter after the former San Sebastian ace sustained injury while trying to help anchor the Angels’ fightback in the fourth set.
“It’s a different game on Friday (today). We’ll have a new rotation, we are one player down but somebody must step up,” said Petro Gazz coach Jerry Yee, who cited the Angels’ maturity that enabled them to measure up with the Cool Smashers in the series.
“The team is mature enough to fight. If they give us a break, we’ll cash in on it,” added Yee, whose Angels blew four set points but saved a couple of match points before yielding in a protracted battle of wits and nerves.
The presentation of awards for the conference’s top performers will be held before the 3 p.m. match for third place between Choco Mucho and Cignal HD with the Flying Titans also out to wrap up their side of the best-of-three series after repulsing the HD Spikers, 25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, also last Wednesday.
