JEMA Galanza has been a Cool Smasher from the very start - 2017, in particular.
READ: History tells us Creamline-Petro Gazz Game 2 victor goes on to win it all
Plenty of players stayed, many more came, and a few ones left over an eight-year period the saw Creamline establishing and reinforcing its unparalleled dynasty with 10 PVL titles and the sport’s only Grand Slam win to date.
That near-decade stretch for Galanza hasn’t just been about winning and dominating the league amid a few hiccups here and there.
More than anything, the last eight years have been a period of evolution for her and the rest of the Cool Smashers.
A squad full of stars
Galanza believes that there’s one key attribute Creamline was able to build over the past few seasons that not a lot of powerhouse teams have.
Sure, the Cool Smashers have a constellation of stars in their sky. What it doesn’t have, though? A one-size-fits-all winning formula.
In other words, they have grown to be an unpredictable force, as almost any shuffling of head coach Sherwin Meneses’ deck of cards can produce a winning outcome.
Such a claim is evidenced by Creamline’s 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference run to date — one filled with multiple injury spells across the board, but still found a way to be one win away from an 11th PVL championship.
“Iba kasi rin talaga yung [conference] na ‘to, sobrang haba. Iba na rin yung nabubuong culture ng Creamline. Hindi mo rin talaga alam kung sino yung maglalaro,” Galanza told SPIN.ph.
“Itong conference na ‘to, beterano kasi ‘yung kalaban. Hindi ka pwedeng mag-relax, hindi ka pwedeng mag-error nang mag-error kasi alam nila ‘yung gagawin nila.
“Kami ngayon, talagang sinusukat nila ‘yung kakayahan din namin na ‘to. Ito ‘yung nakakatuwa kasi gusto naming ma-feel na sa lahat ng pinagdaanan namin nitong finals, gusto naming ma-feel namin ‘tong bigat na ‘to na mag-champion kami.”
Jema’s fighting vow
What hasn’t changed for the Cool Smashers in a time of growth and evolution? Their commitment to have each other’s backs through it all.
As Galanza puts it, when it comes to Creamline, “kapag bumabagsak ka, merong sasalo sayo.”
And in their toughest acid test yet in Game Three of the PVL Finals against Petro Gazz on Saturday, expect the conference’s reigning finals MVP to give it everything she’s got to finish her story strong.
“Mapapangako ko na gagawin ko ‘yung best ko. As in. Promise.”
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