Bernadeth Pons brings championship fire back to Creamline as Cool Smashers reload for PVL All-Filipino Conference

Creamline’s road back to the summit begins with a familiar spark — and this time, it’s coming straight from the sand.

As the Cool Smashers gear up for the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, the return of Bernadeth Pons signals more than just a roster boost. It marks a reset for a franchise that experienced something unfamiliar in 2025: a season without a title.

Pons’ absence last year, a conscious decision to focus on beach volleyball, coincided with Creamline’s rare dry spell — their first since the pandemic interrupted league play. 

While the trophies stopped coming indoors, Pons was quietly building momentum elsewhere. Alongside fellow Cool Smasher Dij Rodriguez, she reached the top of the podium at the 33rd SEA Games women’s beach volleyball tournament in Thailand, delivering international gold even as the club recalibrated at home.

Now, with that chapter closed, Pons is back where she has long thrived — the hard court — carrying the urgency of unfinished business.

Fresh from their SEA Games triumph on November 19, Pons and Rodriguez wasted no time easing back in. Training resumed shortly after New Year’s Day, with the duo rejoining Creamline sessions as early as January 2, a move that underscored the team’s renewed sense of purpose.

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GOLD VIBES! Hats off to Pons, Sisi, Dij, and Sunny !

Salamat sa pusong ipinakita ninyo sa bawat rally sa SEA Games. Your grit, teamwork, and Good Vibes made the country proud! #CreamlineCoolSmashers #CreamlineIceCream pic.twitter.com/YN3c6G6vh6

— Creamline Cool Smashers (@CoolSmashers) December 19, 2025

“’Yung goal talaga namin is makabalik sa taas, pero siyempre, hindi siya ganun kadaling makuha kaya everyday namin ‘yun paghahandaan talaga,” Pons said.

“Simula January 2 pa lang, bumalik na kami, nag-ensayo na kami kaya paghihirapan talaga namin.”

Creamline’s identity, after all, has never revolved around a single name. Across 10 championship runs, the Cool Smashers built their dynasty on depth, continuity, and chemistry — elements now coming back into focus. The expected returns of Jia de Guzman, Jema Galanza, and Bea de Leon have only amplified belief within the camp.

“Sobrang saya kasi kumpleto na talaga kami,” Pons said. “Lahat kami nandito na. Si Jia, nandiyan na. ‘Yung mga injured before, makakabalik na rin so kumpleto talaga kami ngayon.”

For Pons, the transition back to indoor volleyball has been intentional rather than rushed. Nearly all of 2025 was spent on sand as part of Alas Pilipinas Women’s Beach Volleyball’s SEA Games buildup, and while her fitness level remains high, the adjustment hasn’t been seamless.

“Physically, siguro conditioned pa kami coming from beach [volleyball]. ‘Yung medyo mahirap and challenging sa’min is yung hard floor ulit,” Pons admitted.

“Eight months kami nasa sand so mahirap din pagbalik. Pati rin ‘yung timing namin sa palo, medyo off pa.

“’Yun pa ‘yung wino-workout namin everyday sa ensayo namin and hopefully, magtuloy-tuloy ‘yung progress.”

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