Game Today
(MOA Arena)
5:30 p.m. — Creamline vs Petro Gazz
GOING for all the marbles, Creamline and Petro Gazz battle each other one last time today in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference finals before an expected sell-out crowd at the MOA Arena.
The Cool Smashers showed indomitable will in the fifth and final set in snaring an 18-25, 25-16, 25-18, 23-25, 15-6 victory in Game Two Tuesday to level the series at one apiece and send it to a decider slated at 5:30 p.m. With their backs against the wall following a 25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 26-24 win in opener Sunday, the defending champion didn’t cave in despite tremendous pressure and responded to the challenge to stay alive in its hunt for a sixth title.
Setter Jia de Guzman has been nothing short of excellent and dished out 30 excellent sets that fueled Creamline’s three-headed dragon of Michele Gumabao, Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza, who fired 21, 20 and 17 points, respectively.
Creamline is eyeing its sixth title in an impressive stretch that also saw the franchise make the podium 10 straight times that included a couple of runner-up finishes and three third-place efforts. They hope to add another hardware come tonight. Ms. De Guzman said they would need to play better than what they did in Game Two knowing Petro Gazz will likewise give it everything to turn things around in the latter’s schedule.
For Petro Gazz, it will be eyeing its third crown in the league and its first All-Filipino title. — Joey Villar
