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    Full-strength Creamline expected against KingWhale in title match

    Full-strength Creamline expected against KingWhale-Taiwan in title match
    Aug 13, 2022
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    It's KingWhale against Creamline in the title match.

    SO rich in championship experience, having been in the PVLfinals the last six conferences, Creamline puts its reputation on the line against a team soaking up the atmosphere of its own finals run.

    But the Cool Smashers will have a different look in their drive to nail a fifth crown overall and second in the league’s pro era as they face a fired-up KingWhale-Taiwan side in a winner-take-all match set at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

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    Creamline enters the match reeling from a five-set defeat to the visiting squad just last Friday although the Cool Smashers can lean on the fact that they showed up without one of their top hitters coupled with the sidelining of their seasoned skipper late in the contest.

    But the league's top draw is expected to be back in full force with Jema Galanza and Alyssa Valdez tipped to join Tots Carlos, Celine Domingo, Risa Sato, Michelle Gumabao, Rose Vargas and playmaker Jia de Guzman for the all-important tussle.

    The Cool Smashers, however, will need more than experience, power and crowd support to foil a rival reinforced by a killer of a hitter in Bea de Carvalho and a mix of young and veteran locals eager and ready to score a repeat over the most feared team in the fold and complete a five-game sweep of the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

    With the Brazilian import on the firing end, KWT outhit Creamline, 69-55, and though the Cool Smashers dominated the net with nine blocks, seven more than the Taiwanese, the latter pounced on their rivals’ sloppy service reception that netted them seven aces.

    They also scored 28 points off the Cool Smashers’ miscues while yielding 25 of their own.

    Young setter Lian Yi-Jen also produced 38 excellent sets to outshine De Guzman, who finished with 18 in an abbreviated stint as Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses went for new combinations after securing the first finals berth with wins in their first three matches of the semis.

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    Numbers won’t matter in sudden death but cohesion and poise and the knack to keep its nerve in check, particularly in pressure-packed stretches of each set.

    “We’re excited but Creamline is good, and all its players are smart,” said KWT coach Teng Yen-Min, who is banking on De Carvalho again, along with Chen Li-Jun, Chang Chih-Hsuan and Liao, and the team’s ever-improving chemistry in pursuit of PVL glory.

    De Carvalho braces for a power duel with Carlos with the former hard-pressed to match or surpass her 24-point explosion Friday after pumping in 14 points against Army and 19 against PLDT.

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      The Taiwanese heads-up plays likewise earned them respect and support from the fans although the Cool Smashers remain the crowd favorites and are expected to draw inspiration again from their horde of followers.

      After a couple of third place finishes (Reinforced and Open) since joining the league in 2017, Creamline has won four championships in six finals appearances although its crack at the fifth crown could be imperiled in the face of KWT’s remarkable showing marked by a back-to-back five-set escapes.

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      PLDT, which blew two chances to get into the finals, and Cignal, which struggled again after a strong start in the conference, tangle at 2:30 p.m. for third place.

      The conference’s top performers will be feted after the championship match.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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      It's KingWhale against Creamline in the title match.
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