This series is going to a winner-take-all Game 3, as it should.
The Creamline Cool Smashers had their backs against the wall. But they responded like the champions they are in Game 2 on Tuesday night, digging deep to outlast the Petro Gazz Angels, 18-25, 25-16, 25-18, 23-25, 15-6, in front of a raucous, nearly 10,000-strong crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Tots Carlos was once again phenomenal for Creamline, leading a balanced attack that also saw Michele Gumabao, Jema Galanza, and Cel Domingo attacking a very game Petro Gazz squad.
But at the middle of it all was star setter Jia De Guzman, who was her usual steady self all game long in piloting the Creamline attack. She typified her steely resolve with a game-high 30 excellent sets, routinely putting her heavy hitters in great positions to attack again and again and again.
When asked by One Sports’ Sam Corrales after the game what changed heading into Game 2, De Guzman said the Cool Smashers simply relished the challenge in front of them—and adjusted accordingly.
“After the first game we knew we had a lot of lapses that we had to fix, and everyone was very ready to take up the challenge and prepare while we only had one day to adjust for this Game 2,” the three-time finals MVP told Corrales on live TV. “And we’re very happy that all our hard work paid off. We knew it wasn’t gonna be easy, and it showed naman—nag-five sets kami. But hanggang dulo lumaban kami and I’m very proud of my team.”
She should be very proud because Creamline showed the mettle of a champion, bucking a slow start and then overcoming back-to-back service errors that cost them the fourth set.
But Game 2 is history. Now, it is winner-take-all on Thursday, and De Guzman knows there is plenty of work left to complete this comeback.
“We won today, but we know there’s a lot more to fix, a lot more to work on, a lot more to improve,” De Guzman said. “We’re very ready for this challenge. So, we’ll see you all in Game 3.”
See you, indeed.