IT was in 2017 when Rebisco formed the Creamline Cool Smashers as its entrant to the newly-rebranded Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
With humble aspirations, seven years flew by fast and saw Creamline emerge not only as the PVL’s most successful franchise with 10 titles but also the first team in Philippine volleyball to complete a Grand Slam.
READ: Creamline beats Cignal to complete PH volley's first Grand Slam
Upon finally winning the triple-crown that has eluded them in the last two years, the dynasty that Creamline has built now stands among the country’s greatest sporting teams.
Two pioneering figures of Creamline’s first-ever PVL team in the 2017 Reinforced Conference that are still with the team to this day are head coach Sherwin Meneses and Jema Galanza.
Meneses and Galanza were with the Cool Smashers in all ten of their title runs, with the former having won seven as head coach since taking over the reins from multi-titled Thai mentor Tai Bundit in 2022.
And the secret behind the longevity of Creamline’s success? The longevity of the team and its longstanding winning system itself.
“‘Yung sistema (ng Creamline), kumbaga ‘di siya nabago. Nadagdagan pa nga siguro nu’ng dumating sa’min si coach She (as head coach). At ang tagal na naming magkakasama,” Galanza said.
“’Yun yung isang factor din kung bakit kami nakakakuha ng championships — ‘yung jelling namin bilang isang team.”
Started from the bottom, now they’re WAY up there
When Meneses moved to Creamline as a deputy coach from now-defunct Philippine Superliga (PSL) club Generika-Ayala Lifesavers and the Adamson Lady Falcons in the UAAP, he always knew the Cool Smashers would be a special group.
Simply put, he saw Creamline’s success coming from a mile away.
And as every member of the Cool Smashers family would echo, the unparalleled support of their management gave Meneses the belief that Creamline will see its successful culture stand the test of time.
And safe to say, it did.
“Nu’ng nagstart yung Creamline, supportive na talaga ‘yung management. Number one talaga is ‘yung management na nakikita mo na magsu-succeed talaga y’ung team," Meneses said.
“Sobrang supportive nila sa court, sa financial (needs) ng mga players, sobrang supportive nila.
“Kaya nakikita namin talaga mag-susucced ‘yung Creamline because number one naman talaga is management."
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