Creamline fully supports KVL aspirant Tots Carlos despite missing PVL semis games

MANILA, Philippines – Defending PVL All-Filipino Conference champion Creamline now has its back against the wall in the 2024 round-robin semifinals after being stunned out of the Tuesday, April 30 opening tilt by sister team Choco Mucho in a historic five-set reversal.

Sorely missed by the Cool Smashers in that collapse from two sets up was three-time MVP Tots Carlos, who at the time was plying her craft in the three-day Korean V. League (KVL) tryouts for Asian Quota import draft hopefuls.

With the mandatory tryouts and draft stretching until Wednesday, May 1, Carlos’ return in time for Creamline’s must-win game on Thursday, May 2, against rival Petro Gazz is still in serious doubt.

While Cool Smashers captain Alyssa Valdez was not able give a sure answer on her star teammate’s status, she instead used the question as an opportunity to give her full support.

“All we know is we’re praying for Tots, whether she’s able to make it to the next game and whether or not she’s selected to one of the teams there in Korea,” Valdez said in Filipino after Choco Mucho’s first-ever win against her Creamline squad in 13 tries.

“We’re just really happy for her with this opportunity that she has. Whatever happens, whatever is the situation given to us against Petro Gazz, we’re going to accept it, give our 100%, and hopefully, we give a good fight. So Tots, fight! Whatever that is, go!”

Despite Valdez coolly downplaying the situation, Carlos’ potential absence against Petro Gazz is especially crucial, since another Creamline loss could potentially end the title defense immediately on Thursday night.

All it takes is for both Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho to win their next respective assignments and they will both clinch the two finals berths, since they would then both carry 2-0 records, while the other two semifinalists, Creamline and Chery Tiggo, could no longer catch up from a 0-2 standings hole.

But as Valdez knows by now after enduring multiple star player absences in her recent title runs, a championship machine does not break down with the loss of a single cog.

“We always train as a team, and it’s always part of training that we’re all being rotated by coach Sherwin [Meneses],” she said. “I guess we miss Tots definitely, but we run a system.”

Sure enough, the Creamline system was still run to near-perfection, albeit just in the first two sets, as three-time PVL Best Opposite Hitter Michele Gumabao (18 points) adequately filled in for Carlos. Valdez poured in a conference-high 21 points, while another former MVP, Jema Galanza, topscored with 23.

“Even though we sometimes lose players, coach Sherwin makes sure we move in a certain way within our system. Unfortunately, we lost, but we’re still playing for Tottie,” Valdez continued.

“We really hope she can make her way into the Korean V. League.” – Rappler.com