CREAMLINE found itself in a fight it did not quite expect, but still had enough to fend off Farm Fresh, 25-18, 24-26, 25-22, 23-25, 15-4, in the first five-setter of the 2026 PVL Invitational on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Cool Smashers came out firing in the decider, racing to a 10-1 lead that took the sting out of the Foxies' upset bid.
The victory preserved Creamline's spotless record and, more importantly, put it firmly on track to the first finals berth, earning a chance to close in on a guaranteed top-two finish as early as Friday when it faces EST Cola.
“Sobrang lesson sa amin ‘yung nangyari and blessing din kasi na-experience namin ‘yung talagang very close na game. Sa tingin ko, nakaganda sa amin yung sitwasyon,” said head coach Sherwin Meneses.
Jema Galanza again led the way both on offense and defense with 26 points, six in the deciding set, while adding 18 receptions and 11 digs.
Jaja Santiago-Minowa came up big in the clutch with all three of her blocks in the fifth en route to 17 points, while Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos chipped in 12 apiece.
It once looked smooth-sailing after the Cool Smashers cruised through the opening set, only to see Farm Fresh refusing to fold against the tournament's lone unbeaten team.
Trisha Tubu and Royse Tubino sparked a late second-set push to force a split, before the Foxies built a 17-13 lead in the third. Santiago-Minowa, however, keyed Creamline's comeback, as they stole the frame, 25-22.
The Cool Smashers couldn't recover from another early deficit in the fourth, but got it going just in time to dodge the upset in the decider.
Ces Molina's 27-point, 17-dig double-double went for naught despite also 19 points each from Tubu and Tubino.
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