Once again, the Creamline Cool Smashers just refused to lose. On the brink after their Game 1 loss, the ladies in pink showcased their championship mettle yet again in Game 2, pulling out a 25-15, 16-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-9 in another epic five-set thriller at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to send the 2024–25 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals to a winner-take-all Game 3.
Bernadeth Pons led the Cool Smashers’ Game 2 escape act, firing 22 big points on top of 12 excellent receptions and 9 excellent digs. She was also at the forefront of Creamline’s magical fifth set, scoring three straight at one point as against a solitary point for Petro Gazz to turn a 5-5 tie into an 8-6 advantage—one the defending champs never surrendered anymore.
“Puso ng kampeon,” Pons said after the grueling two-hour, 14-minute match. “Sobrang saya. Ang ganda ng laro ng team at ginawa lang namin ung reminder na ‘huwag titigil hanggat di natatapos. Kahit nakuhanan kami ng set, kahit nalamangan kami, andun pa din kami, laban pa rin.”
Jema Galanza added 13, most in the first three sets, while Pangs Panaga and Michele Gumabao chipped in 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
Back-and-Forth Action Culminates in Creamline’s Strong Finish
With one team going for the kill and another fighting for survival, Game 2 became an epic back-and-forth, with Creamline starting off with a dominant victory in the first set and Petro Gazz returning the favor in the second.
The Cool Smashers reasserted control in the third, pulling out a slim 25-21 win in a show of their trademark resilience. But the Angels responded, zooming to an 18-9 lead in the fourth set en route to a decisive 25-15 victory. But Creamline would get the final momentum swing, firing on all cylinders in the fifth set to wrap up Game 2 and tie the PVL Finals at one match apiece.
Brooke Van Sickle led Petro Gazz with 18 points, followed by MJ Phillips’s 15. Jonah Sabete added 14, while Myla Pablo chipped in 11.
2024–25 PVL All-Filipino Conference: The Finals Boil Down to One Last Match
The 2024–25 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals will end on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena. Game 3 of the Creamline-Petro Gazz Finals will take place after the conclusion of the winner-take-all battle for third between the Choco Mucho Flying Titans and Akari Chargers. The Flying Titans extended that consolation series by winning Game 2, 25-18, 25-22, 27-29, 25-19.
Game 2 of the PVL Finals is set at 7:00 p.m.
