Creamline Cool Smashers face sister Choco Mucho in Valentine’s Day showdown

February 13, 2023

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CREAMLINE Cool Smashers will have a chance to regain the solo lead again as it shoots for win No. 3 against Choco Mucho Flying Titans. — PVL

Games Today(Smart Araneta Coliseum)4 p.m. — Cignal vs Akari6:30 p.m. — Creamline vs Choco Mucho

CREAMLINE looked impressive in its straight-set victories over last year’s Reinforced Conference finalists Petro Gazz and Cignal that reinforced what every team in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) already know — the Cool Smashers are the team to beat.

And the Jonathan Ng-owned franchise is not about to slow down as it is expected to show no mercy against little sister Choco Mucho in a Valentine’s Day PVL All-Filipino Conference showdown that is expected to draw a mammoth crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

Out for a vengeance after it was denied a historic Grand Slam last season, the Open and Invitational Conferences titlist came out like a super typhoon as it left a trail of devastation in flattening Petro Gazz, 25-18, 25-20, 25-22, and Cignal, 25-16, 25-21, 25-15, to jump to the top early.

While Chery Tiggo and F2 Logistics managed to catch up by also zooming to a pristine 2-0 start, Creamline will have a chance to regain the solo lead again as it shoots for win No. 3 against Choco Mucho at 6:30 p.m. in a duel that could come close, if not eclipse, the 19,000-plus fans that watched them clash in their last encounter in November last year at the MOA Arena.

Expect the Flying Titans to likewise come out with fire in their eyes and bounce back from a 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 beating the former suffered at the hands of the Angels Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

But everyone knows, including Choco Mucho itself, that Creamline will come into their match as the heavy favorite, thanks to the latter’s loaded roster headed by resurgent Michele Gumabao and the power-spiking duo of Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza.

The troika have actually stepped up and filled the massive void left by their hurting captain Alyssa Valdez especially Ms. Gumabao, who has been playing like an MVP and averaged a team-high 13.5 points a game, which is currently seventh best in the league’s scoring race.

Meanwhile, Cignal and Akari desperately gun for their first win after dropping their first two assignments as they tackle each other at 4 p.m. — Joey Villar