Creamline completes redemption, takes down Cignal for 11th PVL crown

MANILA, April 24 ------ The Creamline Cool Smashers completed their redemption run in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference. The league's winningest club added another feat to its loaded trophy shelf, beating Cignal via a two-game sweep in the best-of-three Finals of the tournament at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Cool Smashers denied the Super Spikers a breakthrough title in Game 2 with a grueling 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-11 win, marking their return to the PVL mountaintop after missing out on the championship round in the past three competitions. The 2026 All-Filipino title was also their first championship trophy since winning the coveted Grand Slam in the 2024 Invitational — also their 11th overall and seventh in the all-Pinoy and Open Conferences. "Siyempre, sobrang saya. Sobrang saya talaga. Kasi parang one year kami talagang hindi naka-finals, tapos 'yung excitement ng game. Lalo na sa Game 2, nag-five sets, sobrang intense and pressure 'yung game. So, sobrang saya at nakabalik 'yung Creamline sa championship," coach Sherwin Meneses said during the championship presser.

As the match was pushed to the limit, after the Super Spikers forced a deciding period, the Cool Smashers seemed to have lost their momentum after a 16-25 Set 4 loss, and the other side even had a narrow 9-7 advantage in the fifth frame. Thankfully for Creamline, Jia de Guzman was there — not to set, but to score — as she went for a dropball, and Erika Santos afterwards overcooked her attack that allowed the Cool Smashers to knot the game at 9-apiece. It was challenged for a block touch, but was unsuccessful. With a checkball hit, Jema Galanza gave Creamline the edge at 10-9, to the delight of the pink faithful inside the arena. Pangs Panaga though committed an attack error that went out; challenged twice — first, by Creamline, later on by the referees — but to no avail.

Tots Carlos quickly regained the lost point with an off-the-block hit, and Santos' attack once again went wide. It was challenged for a block touch, but it was Cignal's turn to be unsuccessful in their contest. Panaga then blocked Vanie Gandler on the net for a 13-10 cushion, but the Ateneo product quickly atoned for it with a kill of her own, making it a 13-11 count. That ultimately turned out to be the Super Spikers' last point of the match, as Carlos fired a gutsy kill, and mimicking what Panaga did earlier, she blocked Gandler on the net that officially closed out the title series in Creamline's favor. "Sobrang in the present lang kami. Kung ano lang importante dun sa moment na 'yun, 'yun lang 'yung focus namin," said Carlos, who produced 18 points, backstopping Bernadeth Pons' team-high of 22 points.

Pons, who was eventually named Finals MVP — her second for Creamline — added 25 excellent digs and 15 excellent receptions, delivering on both ends of the floor. Jema Galanza was also there for the offense and defense, tallying 12 points, 19 digs, and 16 receptions, while de Guzman was at the center of Creamline's scoring, registering 31 excellent sets.

Panaga, who later on won her 10th Best Middle Blocker nod, delivered 10 markers, including five kill blocks. On the other side of the taraflex, it was still an impressive run for Cignal, with eventual Conference MVP awardee Gandler leading the way. In Gandler's final game of the conference, she showed why she was the recipient of the plum, firing a game-high 26 points to go along with 14 digs and 15 receptions. Santos made her presence felt with 21 points, while Tin Tiamzon chipped in 14 markers for the silver medalists. Dawn Catindig, Cignal's defensive specialist, had 36 digs.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com