Cream Line Aims for Pioneering Triple Crown Achievement

The cream line’s fateful meeting will be decided on Thursday when the Kool Smashers aim to achieve the first Grand Slam in Premier Volleyball League (PVL) history.

Or, the Kool Smashers could fail to achieve this feat for the third time in their illustrious history.

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No team has come close to achieving a season sweep, but Creamline has done so the past two seasons in a row before faltering in their final conference match.

In 2022, the Kool Smashers missed out on a spot in the Reinforced Conference finals after Signal came in front of them with a crucial semifinal win, and a year later, Japan’s Kurashiki Ablaze thwarted them in the invitational conference title series.

Exorcise ghosts

Either the Ablaze or the HD Spikers, who are vying for a spot in the second title match as of press time, will face the Cool Smashers on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. A win would see the Creamline wipe out one of their two failed attempts at the Triple Crown.

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All-Filipino finals MVP Gemma Garanza led the team to a 25-15, 25-13, 25-19 victory over Farm Fresh on Wednesday at PhilSports Arena, giving coach Sherwin Meneses another layer to his already deep offensive line heading into the title match.

“As long as coach needs me, I’m ready mentally and physically,” Galantha, who had 13 points, said in Filipino. “I’m very happy to be back (at the Creamline).”

“I know the team’s system very well, so I don’t think it will be a big adjustment for me.”

The Creamline has played four games in the past six days, a streak that began shortly after the Cool Smashers captured the Enhanced Conference crown, so Garanza could be the freshest cog in Meneses’ rotation.

Garanza was unable to help the Kool Smashers on their way to the title match after serving on national team duty. The Creamline won their most recent reinforcement conference match without injured tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez and earned a chance at this Grand Slam without their three most prolific scorers.

Creamline, the most attractive team in domestic club volleyball, extended their podium streak to 17. INQ