Creamline beats rival, Cignal shows nerves of steel in twin PVL thrillers

If the All-Filipino Conference was searching for early proof that reputation alone won’t carry teams, Tuesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena delivered it—twice. One match was about restoring order. The other was about surviving chaos.

Creamline, bruised from an opening-day stumble, played like a champion unwilling to entertain doubt. Choco Mucho, meanwhile, showed fight and flair but once again learned how thin the margin is against a team built for closing moments.

From the opening serve, the Cool Smashers didn’t overwhelm so much as absorb. The first set unfolded in jagged bursts—blocks, quick attacks, defensive scrambles—until Creamline leaned on composure to escape, 27-25. When Choco Mucho punched back hard in the second, leveling the match with authority, the arena sensed the familiar tension that has long defined this rivalry.

That tension broke in the third. Creamline tightened the screws defensively, controlled tempo, and reclaimed momentum. By the fourth set, with Eya Laure sidelined, the Cool Smashers shifted fully into execution mode—efficient, disciplined, and unapologetically clinical—to close out a 27-25, 17-25, 25-21, 25-15 rebound win in just under two hours.

Bernadette Pons embodied that reset. Her triple-double—19 points, 18 excellent receptions, and 13 digs—was less about volume than reliability. After a quiet opener, Pangs Panaga (12 points) and Jema Galanza (11) rediscovered rhythm, while Tots Carlos matched Galanza’s output. Jia De Guzman, steady as ever, stitched it all together with eight points, three kill blocks, and 20 excellent sets—leadership expressed in choices, not noise.

Choco Mucho showed plenty of promise. Laure’s 19 points came before she was forced out, Rondina battled to 15, and Lorraine Pecaña added 10. But when rallies stretched and decisions sharpened, Creamline once again owned the moment—improving to 1-1 while handing the Flying Titans a second straight loss.

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THE GV-KADA IS ON BOARD

Bernadeth Pons delivers a steady & confident performance as the Creamline Cool Smashers defeat their sister team, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, in four sets to claim their first victory of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.#TheHeartofVolleyball pic.twitter.com/AuSfPfsUNQ

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) February 10, 2026

POWERED TO THREE

Vanie Gandler anchors a composed effort as the Cignal Super Spikers weather the challenge of the Farm Fresh Foxies, sealing a four-set triumph to stretch their winning run to three in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.#PVL2026 #TheHeartofVolleyball pic.twitter.com/rpQKFLkiQL

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) February 10, 2026

Earlier in the evening, composure took a different shape.

Cignal didn’t dominate Farm Fresh; it endured them.

What unfolded was a two-hour, 10-minute test of patience and nerve, with the Super Spikers escaping 25-17, 26-24, 20-25, 30-28 to claim solo possession of first place. Leads vanished, deficits loomed, and set points came and went—but Cignal never blinked.

Down five in the second set, they clawed back. After dropping the third, they stood firm in a fourth-set marathon, saving two set points and trading blows deep into extra points before finally breaking through.

Vanie Gandler was the axis. Her 25-point outburst came with 17 excellent digs and 15 receptions—an all-around performance that earned Best Player of the Game and defined Cignal’s refusal to fold. Erika Santos chipped in 15, many at the most volatile junctures, while Gel Cayuna’s 19 excellent sets and timely 1-2 plays kept Farm Fresh perpetually off-balance.

The Foxies were left with another near-miss. Trisha Tubu’s 19 points led the charge, Ces Molina had 18, and Royse Tubino added 14. Statistically, Farm Fresh matched Cignal blow for blow. Practically, the difference came down to errors—29 free points conceded, including the final two that sealed their fate.

Two matches, two messages.

Creamline reminded everyone why championships aren’t surrendered easily. Cignal showed that grit, not flash, can anchor an early run. And in a conference already punishing complacency, both wins felt heavier than a single mark in the standings.

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