Jema Galanza embraces comeback, eyes bounce-back despite Creamline loss

The roar of the crowd, the grind of long rallies, the pressure of big points—Jema Galanza finally had them all back. After four months away from competition due to a lingering left foot injury, the Creamline star returned to the PVL court with a mix of excitement and unfamiliar nerves. What she didn’t get, however, was the result she hoped for.

Creamline’s straight-set loss to PLDT on Thursday put a damper on what was supposed to be a celebratory night for the Cool Smashers, especially for Galanza, who had waited patiently through rehabilitation just to feel game action again.

“Siguro, may excitement na may kaba. Nakakapanibago na ngayon lang ulit nakabalik. Nakakalungkot lang na kinulang,” Galanza admitted after the match.

While the defeat stung, the returning hitter was clear that pressure wasn’t part of her mindset heading into the game. Instead, it was the rhythm of competition—something no amount of training can fully replicate—that took time to rediscover.

“Actually, wala namang pressure o wala naman akong inisip talaga. Yung pagkasanay lang kung paano ka maglalaro sa loob kasi four months din akong di naglaro. Ang tagal ko ring di na-feel yung pressure, yung laro, ganyan. Siguro, naninibago lang,” she shared.

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Galanza’s comeback also coincided with the long-awaited return of Creamline’s core, as Jia De Guzman and Bernadeth Pons suited up alongside her. For the first time in a while, the Cool Smashers finally fielded a complete lineup—something Galanza said brought excitement from the very start of training camp.

“Actually, nung start ng training, nakaka-excite na lahat kumpleto na kami. Ayun, di nga namin alam ano ang mangyayari, sino ang first six, o ano ang itatakbo ng training namin, pero ngayong game lang, sad lang talaga na kinulang,” she said.

Still, Galanza remains optimistic. Years of playing together, shared championships, and countless battles have built a foundation she believes will eventually show itself as the conference unfolds.

“Pero alam naman din namin na ang tagal na naming magkakasama, magkakakilala. Alam naman din namin na makakabawi kami sa next games this conference.”

For Galanza, the loss was only one part of the story. The bigger win was simply being back—healthy, competing, and ready to help Creamline find its stride again.

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