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Creamline preps for MVP Jema Galanza return as Cignal, Kurashiki contest PVL final spot

Following the return of Alas Pilipinas standouts Vanie Gandler and Dawn Catindig for Cignal, Creamline also prepares for the comeback of former PVL MVP Jema Galanza ahead of its Invitational Conference knockout final match

MANILA, Philippines – The Creamline Cool Smashers, already the most powerful and proven team in the PVL, are bound to grow even stronger as the blindingly quick 2024 PVL Invitational Conference approaches its knockout final on Thursday, September 12.

Former league MVP and reigning All-Filipino Finals MVP Jema Galanza, mandated to sit out the entire Reinforced tilt due to Alas Pilipinas national team duties, has been cleared to play in Creamline’s no-bearing game on Wednesday, September 11, against the podium-chasing Farm Fresh Foxies.

Although head coach Sherwin Meneses was noncommittal to Galanza’s availability, he hoped his star spiker could get some game reps in before heading to the gold medal match.

“We’ll still meet about the Alas players but, hopefully, Jema can play since she really wants to come back,” he said in Filipino after Creamline reasserted its mastery over Cignal on Monday, September 9, to clinch an outright final berth with one elimination round match remaining.

“I know very well she can help us out, but we will decide on that soon,” Meneses continued.

Galanza will certainly be a massive boost to a Cool Smashers squad already running on fumes due to the quick transition between their title-winning Reinforced Conference and the weeklong Invitationals.

Young import Erica Staunton, double MVP Bernadeth Pons, and veteran Michele Gumabao have been tirelessly holding down the fort like they have done for the entire Reinforced tilt since Galanza was unavailable like her fellow MVP winners, the injured Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos.

The Cool Smashers’ roster condition, however, is still far back in the minds of their potential knockout final foes as Cignal and defending Invitational Conference champion Kurashiki Ablaze are still scheduled for a virtual do-or-die match on Wednesday, 6 pm, after the Creamline-Farm Fresh bout.

Carrying identical 2-1 records, the HD Spikers and Ablaze are both coming off their first losses — both against Creamline — and are looking for a big bounce-back effort to gain a shot at redemption against the Cool Smashers for all the marbles.

Cignal, however, has the theoretical upper hand as Galanza’s clearance also paved the way for the return of the HD Spikers’ own Alas standouts, spiker Vanie Gandler and interim national team captain Dawn Macandili-Catindig.

Both players got spot minutes in the eventual Monday night loss against the Cool Smashers and are expected to get more burn against the scrappy Kurashiki champion squad led by Low Mei Cing, Yana Yukino, Tanaguchi Saya, and reigning Finals MVP Ohshima Kyoka.

The loser of the Wednesday main event gets relegated to the bronze-medal match against either Farm Fresh or young Thai squad Est Cola.

Although winless at 0-3, the Foxies could still sneak past the 1-3 Thais if they can upset Creamline on Wednesday in three to four sets, thus earning them the necessary tiebreaking game points to clinch the bronze match.