Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez acknowledges that Chery Tiggo simply had a stronger desire to win, but she believes the loss would only make the Cool Smashers better in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
For the first time since the Premier Volleyball League turned pro, the Creamline Cool Smashers got to taste the losing end of a sweep.
The Cool Smashers suffered such a shocking fate at the hands of the win-hungry Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-18, 26-24, 25-23, in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference on Saturday.
Making the loss all more heartbreaking was the fact that the defending champions saw their 19-game win streak come to a screeching halt.
Despite the stinging result, Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez was gracious in defeat as she lauded the bounce-back effort of Chery Tiggo.
"It showed naman in the game. I guess that loss also against Farm Fresh gave them a boost and 'yon, they really played well today. Hands down to them," Valdez said.
On Creamline's end, Valdez shared that she and the rest of the Cool Smashers are still pondering on what went wrong.
Nonetheless, she believes the heartbreak will serve them in good stead as the season runs its course.
"Well it's a very quiet dugout. Definitely, that's expected. But you know, knowing my teammates, it might be quiet, but in their heads they're all like really thinking on what to do, on how to improve, on how to make bawi or be better the next game," the Ateneo product said.
"Definitely, I think maganda din 'to at least kahit papaano early at in the season and I would say dami din naming natutunan kahit gano'n."
Creamline's last straight-set defeat happened almost five years ago, when it faltered against the Petro Gazz Angels in the 2019 Reinforced Conference.
And such a stinging loss had ignited the fire from within the Cool Smashers at that time, spurring growth that resulted to multiple title conquests in the succeeding years.
[ALSO READ: The last time Creamline was beaten: Looking back after Chery Tiggo's PVL stunner]
So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Valdez and the rest of the Cool Smashers aim to use their recent setback as a springboard to success.
"Wow, it's been a while, and probably it's really about time also for us to feel that way again so that may renewed energy and strength kaming pagkukuhanan ng motivation," Valdez said.
"So we're claiming it to be one of the siguro one of the things na pagkukuhanan namin ng inspiration this conference."
Expect Valdez and the Cool Smashers to come back stronger when they return to action versus Petro Gazz on March 21, Thursday.
"We're gonna work harder. so we're gonna be more, we're gonna be focused. and let's see. we're gonna give a good fight every game," she said.