Like all those before her, Lorie Bernardo continued to stay ready whenever the Creamline Cool Smashers needed her.
Count on Lorie Bernardo to stay ready as she waits for her turn in the rotation of Creamline.
And when she got that in the third set of the Cool Smashers' battle for the bronze against Chery Tiggo in the 2025 PVL Invitational, she showed that she is just as capable as anyone in her team's stacked roster.
Bernardo came off the bench with a clutch performance Sunday, Aug. 31, scoring all her six points in the final frame.
After Creamline dominated the first two sets, Bernardo proved to be the difference in the tightly contested third.
[RELATED STORY: Creamline secures 19th straight podium finish in PVL but far from done, says Michele Gumabao]
Late in the set, she scored on back-to-back sequences to push Creamline ahead at 19-18.
While it was Player of the Game Michele Gumabao who ended up scoring three straight points to finish the job, Bernardo’s presence was a key factor in securing the sweep to clinch the 19th straight podium finish for the squad.
Cool Smashers head coach Sherwin Meneses lauded Bernardo’s mindset, which has always been apparent across all his players.
“Tingin ko parang tradition na rin 'yon. Dati pa, gano'n din naman, kahit sino 'yong naka-lineup, kahit sino 'yong naglalaro, nag-de-deliver talaga. Ibinibigay nila 'yong hundred percent nila. Makikita rin naman talaga sa training. Kaya madaling magtiwala palagi sa mga bench players,” Meneses said.
[ALSO READ: Savi Davison crowned PVL Invitational MVP after powering PLDT’s perfect run to the throne]
As for Bernardo, the former University of the Philippines standout said that she was simply determined to keep the winning culture going for Creamline, even as they failed to make the finals for the second consecutive time.
“Gutom pa rin kami sa panalo and, siyempre, lalaban kami hanggang dulo. All out kami sa game," Bernardo said.
At the end of the day, Bernardo just kept herself ready to answer her team's call. It also helps when the rest of her teammates also do the same thing, which has been key for the Cool Smashers' dominance in the league.
“Laging ready [kami] sa labas. Para 'pag tinawag ni coach, kami ni Ate Rhea [Villarete], alam na namin kung ano 'yong gagawin namin sa loob,” she said.