Jema Galanza combined her new look with a steady all-around performance to help the Creamline Cool Smashers sweep Farm Fresh and advance to the PVL on Tour semifinals.
New hair, same winning mindset.
Jema Galanza made her presence felt on and off the court as the Creamline Cool Smashers punched another ticket to the PVL on Tour semifinals with a straight-sets win over the Farm Fresh Foxies, 25–19, 25–19, 26–24, on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena.
Sporting a bold new hairstyle after a 19-day break, Galanza said the change was simply a personal experiment that added an extra boost of confidence.
“Ako kasi extreme ako mag-experiment sa self ko. Sabi ko lang, gusto kong mag-try ng bagong hair. ‘Yun lang naman siya. Wala naman siyang reason,” she shared to One Sports.
That confidence showed as she delivered 10 points and six excellent digs, helping Creamline maintain its composure against a gritty Farm Fresh side.
While the new look played a part, Galanza emphasized the team’s 19-day break, which helped them regroup after an up-and-down preliminaries campaign where they needed external help to make the quarterfinals outright with a 3-2 mark.
“I think ‘yung 19 days of break kaya medyo magaan yung feeling pero, ano lang. Siguro nakadagdag lang ng confidence kasi ibang look,” said Galanza.
[ALSO READ: Sherwin Meneses stresses growth as Creamline ends rare skid in PVL on Tour]
Acknowledging the league’s growing competitiveness, the 28-year-old outside hitter stressed the importance of staying focused and learning from past lapses.
“Lahat ng teams nag-improve, lumalaban talaga, so kami mas nagfo-focus kami dun sa ilalalaro namin. Ang importante na naaayos namin. I think mas okay ‘yung game namin and sana madali namin sa semifinals,” she said.
Up next for Galanza and the Cool Smashers will be the unbeaten PLDT High Speed Hitters in the semifinals on Tuesday, August 12 at the Smart Araneta Colisem in Cubao.