Creamline is winning — but not there yet says Jia De Guzman 

Winning hasn’t masked the truth inside the Creamline camp — and they’re not pretending it has.

At 2-1 in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, the Cool Smashers are back in the win column after dropping their opener to PLDT. 

On paper, back-to-back victories over Choco Mucho and ZUS Coffee suggest stability. On the court, however, Creamline knows it’s still searching for rhythm.

The ZUS Coffee match told the story clearly. Creamline opened flat, surrendered the first set, and looked momentarily unsure of itself. Then the switch flipped. The Cool Smashers imposed their will in the next three sets to pull away, 22-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-18. It was clinical — eventually. But it also highlighted the gap between potential and performance.

And no one articulated that better than Jia De Guzman.

“Despite our wins, we sometimes put ourselves in unnecessary tough situations,” she said, adding that the team is focused on improving its chemistry to play more cohesively.

For De Guzman, this conference isn’t just about standings. It’s about reintegration and recalibration. After nearly three years away — including a stint with Denso Airybees in Japan’s S.V. League and duties with Alas Pilipinas — the eight-time PVL Best Setter is rediscovering timing, trust, and tempo with a group that has evolved during her absence.

“Ako personally, hindi pa. Hindi pa ito yun,” said De Guzman, who returned to the squad to start the conference after nearly three years, during which she spent time with Denso Airybees in the Japan S.V. League and later with Alas Pilipinas.

“I think there are still a lot of times na we put ourselves in hard situations na hindi naman talaga dapat. Like coach said nga, maraming beses na yung effort talaga namin at yung kagustuhan naming manalo, nagdi-dictate kung ano yung nangyayari sa laro,” she added.

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That’s JIA-mazing!

Jia De Guzman runs the show as Player of the Game!
10 points | 25 excellent sets

Mastermind on court. All heart, all GOOD VIBES! #AllInGoodVibes#CreamlineCoolSmashers#CreamlineCreamyIceCream#PVL2026 pic.twitter.com/VqbvPq4fSV

— Creamline Cool Smashers (@CoolSmashers) February 17, 2026

“And a lot of times, today and the past games, nagsa-stop kami. So, yun yung tina-try naming ayusin din as a team.”

It’s a rare admission from a dynasty built on precision. Creamline’s identity has long been rooted in control — dictating pace, limiting errors, closing teams out before they can breathe. But this version of the Cool Smashers is learning in real time, winning through turbulence instead of avoiding it.

De Guzman’s stat line against ZUS Coffee — 25 excellent sets and 10 points from six attacks, two kill blocks, and two aces — reflects production. Yet even that comes with self-critique.

“I think, regarding my performance, I still see a lot of lapses. Maraming sitwasyon nga, like coach mentioned, na we could’ve controlled better, we made a lot of errors. Pero, thankfully, natuto kami and naihabol naman namin,” said De Guzman.

What stands out is not frustration, but awareness.

Creamline is no longer chasing perfection in February. It is building toward something heavier — cohesion forged through adversity rather than dominance alone. These are not the smooth, effortless wins of a team already in sync. They are the gritty, instructional victories of a group rebuilding its internal wiring.

And strangely, that may be more dangerous for the rest of the league.

“But, as a team, I’m really proud of how we performed. Kasi, ito yung kinds of games na natututo kami gumalaw as one. Parang dito kami nagbi-build ng chemistry,” she said.

“Dito kami nakaka-face ng adversity and kung paano namin iha-handle talaga as one team. So, thankfully talaga, the win went our way.”

Creamline is winning — but it knows it hasn’t arrived.

For a team used to setting the standard, that honesty might be the first real sign that its peak form is still loading.

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