WITHOUT a doubt, Creamline is the best team in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).Creamline cemented its legacy in the league after it racked its 10th league championship since 2017 last September.The Cool Smashers also have three runner-up finishes and three bronze medals in the league.The next best team in the all-time list is Petro Gazz, which has a record of two championships, three second place and two third place finishes.The Cool Smashers wrapped the year by completing a grand slam, reigning supreme in the All-Filipino, Reinforced and Invitational conferences. They are actually on a four tournament roll as they also won the 2023 2nd All-Filipino Conference.From championship highs and a dynasty buildup, Creamline stars Alyssa Valdez and Jema Galanza shared what it is like to hold the throne.'The Phenom' Valdez acknowledged that clinching the championship multiple times made them the red dot target of their opponents.There is no room for complacency or a breather for a champion like Valdez, especially when teams go hard to play against them.'I'd say even those championships, those three-peats, every single game is a learning curb for Creamline. This team has been very, like a sponge for learning. I think there's no day that goes that everyone is not giving their 100 percent,' Valdez said.'That's the reason we are consistent and have these awards; we treat everything as an opportunity to learn.'Valdez and her teammate Tots Carlos were both tied with the most conference Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards with three each.Known as 'The Finisher,' the 31-year-old gunner served as the go-to spiker of Creamline during crucial late stretches of the match.With Valdez stamping her mark with the Cool Smashers, another player shone and also delighted the troop of the pink squad supporters.Trusty winger Jema Galanza made a huge contribution to the dynasty run of Creamline, as she's also known for her floor defense.For the 28-year-old winger, it is not about winning anymore but the 'how.''It is a big thing for us to win, but what is more important is how we do it. Sometimes, we win a game, and we don't even know how we won. We want to give our best performance; we just don't want to rely on luck,' the 2024 All-Filipino Conference MVP said.'Sometimes we win a game, and we just don't want to win because we got lucky. Or maybe there's a prayer that's why we win. But we want to win because we did everything we could inside the court,' she added.But the Cool Smashers proved that they don't rely on a one 'star' player only.Galanza was out during the Reinforced Conference and played only two games in the Invitational Conference as she needed to serve her duties with the national team.Meanwhile, Alyssa Valdez sat out during the two mentioned conferences as she suffered a minor injury.These saw other Creamline players step up, with Bernadeth Pons and Michelle Gumabao leading the offense, who coveted the 2024 Reinforced Conference MVP and 2024 Invitational Conference MVP, respectively.Volleyball icon Valdez shared how her team's achievement inspired her to also comeback better, now that she is fully recovered from her injury.'Being on the sideline for the two conferences, I just saw how talented and amazing my teammates are. That's one thing for sure. How they want to play volleyball in such a way that they're helping each other,' Valdez recalled.'I think from then on, and because of that as well, I realized that I have to actually enjoy the sport again, be back, and be happier than ever. Hopefully, that's the same energy that I am giving to them.'Creamline now aims to make it five titles in a row in the ongoing PVL 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference.Nicole Anne D.G. Bugauisan
