Creamline captain Alyssa Valdez in action against Cignal. PVL Media BureauMANILA — Creamline and Cignal continue to figure in tightly contested battles in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, with both of their meetings this tournament going the full distance.
The Cool Smashers drew first blood in the preliminary round, outlasting the Super Spikers in a five-set thriller, 25-19, 25-20, 15-25, 26-28, 16-14, on March 21. However, Cignal struck back when it mattered most, pulling off a 25-21, 24-26, 18-25, 25-22, 17-15 victory on March 26 to clinch a semifinals berth.
READ: PVL: Cignal books semis ticket after thrilling win vs Creamline
For Creamline leader Alyssa Valdez, the back-and-forth battles are a sign of healthy competition between the two teams.
"Alam mo, parang lagi pala kami halos five-setter games and we didn't even realize it. But I guess that's when you know that both teams are really having that healthy competition," Valdez told reporters after their loss at the Araneta Coliseum. "And it's just so nice to see na parehong teams nagpapakita at nag-i-step up."
Valdez added that Creamline is taking valuable lessons from the emerging rivalry.
READ: PVL: Creamline secures qualifying round spot after crucial, grueling win vs Cignal
"Sa totoo lang, grabe 'yung mga learnings namin sa Cignal. Dadalhin namin 'yun sa future games namin. And yeah, congratulations to them," she said.
The veteran winger continued her strong showing despite the loss, finishing with 18 points, 19 excellent digs, and 20 excellent receptions.
Still, Valdez admitted there was some regret after the defeat, but stressed the need to quickly move forward.
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"I guess at some point, siyempre, andun 'yung panghihinayang. Pero we don't have time to dwell on it kasi may mga games agad-agad," she said. "Titingnan namin yung mga pagkakamali namin, correct them, learn from this, then move forward and focus on the next game."
Creamline now faces a must-win scenario in their bid for a semifinals berth.