Cream of the crop

MANILA, Philippines — If there’s any doubt on Creamline being the greatest PVL team of all time, the Cool Smashers quashed it with all their might on this memorable and magical Saturday night.

And not even the younger and supremely talented Choco Mucho Flying Titans, their sibling rivals, could debunk what everybody knew all along.

Unwavering in the tensest of moments, Creamline survived Choco Mucho’s fiercest of challenges in snaring an epic 22-25, 25-20, 29-27, 24-26, 15-12 victory that capped a sweet, magnificent sweep of the PVL All-Filipino Conference before a record crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It was another series for the ages for the mighty and proud franchise as it posted its second title sweep – a pristine 15-win masterpiece – that was a reprise of its 20-game sweep of the 2019 Open Conference.

Creamline would later break the hearts of Choco Mucho.

In all, it was the Cool Smashers’ seventh crown in 10 finals appearances and 13th straight podium finish – all league records – that underscored the club’s domination of the country’s immensely popular league.

The game drew 24,459 fans, which included stars headed by tennis phenom Alex Eala, breaking the old league record of 19,157 set by these same two squads in a MOA Arena game on Nov. 18 last year.

Just like in its past conquests, heroes were aplenty for Creamline.

Among them were the fire-spewing troika of Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and Bernadeth Pons.

Setter Kyle Negrito, too, as she seamlessly plugged in the massive, gaping hole left by the cerebral Jia de Guzman.

Count the seldom-used Lorie Bernardo as the lanky middle blocker was suprisingly thrown into heated action and answered the call with perhaps her best performance to date.

Alyssa Valdez, the team’s unchallenged leader, played sparingly in the first four seats before coming through when it mattered most and delivered the critical blows in the fifth set including the devastating spike that hammered in the final nail in Choco Mucho’s coffin.

It was just a pure collective effort by the team whose unbreakable bond has endured the test of time.

Just like in its 25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22 win in the opener Tuesday at the MPA Arena, the sister teams fought close for each and every point and even challenging in every chance they could get.

In the end, it was Creamline which prevailed.

Earlier, Vanessa Gandler lived up to her billing as Cignal’s new franchise player, handing her team an 18-25, 25-21, 25-22, 26-24 come-from-behind victory over the Chery Tiggo Crossovers for third place.

Gandler was nothing short of sublime, the powder keg that destroyed Eya Laure and the Crossovers’ last hopes. She dropped 22 points – all coming off attacks – on this one.

Cignal claimed its second straight third-place finish after a similar feat in the Invitational Conference in the middle of the year.