Cool Smashers down Jet Spikers in PVL opener

MANILA, Philippines — Coming off a failed title-retention bid in the Reinforced Conference, Creamline thought it best to hurdle its first assignment and build some kind of momentum in its crack at defending another Premier Volleyball League championship.

But the Cool Smashers needed to survive a first-set scare before subduing the returning Air Force Jet Spikers, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15, in the opener of the PVL Season 3 Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center yesterday.

Michele Gumabao came away with 14 hits while Alyssa Valdez, Risa Sato and Jema Galanza provided the needed backup as the crowd favorites dished out a big game coming off a break following their setback to the PetroGazz Angels in the finals last conference.

This actually marked the first time in three conferences that Creamline hurdled its opening game assignment after yielding a five-set defeat to PetroGazz in this conference last year and dropping a straight-set loss, also to the Angels, in this year’s Reinforced meet backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.

“It’s so hard. I think every start of the conference, there’s this feeling that you don’t know what to expect from your opponents,” said Valdez. “Air Force, we haven’t seen them play for the longest time. Myla (Pablo) and (Jeanette) Panaga were still with the squad then but now, they’re a completely different team.”