Massive Creamline-Choco Mucho PVL finals poised to draw record crowd

Games Thursday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
4 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs Cignal
6 p.m. – Creamline vs Choco Mucho

MANILA, Philippines – Expect Premier Volleyball League attendance records to fall as Creamline and Choco Mucho — the two undisputedly most popular clubs in the land — face off in a dream PVL All-Filipino Conference championship duel Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Cool Smashers were first to make it through the best-of-three finale after sweeping the Chery Tiggo Crossovers while the Flying Titans needed to go through the full, three-game route to repulse the Cignal HD Spikers to complete the cast.

It was the finals that most of Philippine volleyball fandom prayed and craved for as the sibling rivals never really got to meet in this big of a stage.

But they did clash several times before.

When they do, the crowds just go in full, devastating force.

In fact, it set league crowd records of 14,432 and 19,157 in two of their marquee showdowns last year also at the MOA venue.

And there were whisperings that tickets are selling like hotcakes.

The series though isn’t just about popularity as the two squads showed that it deserved to be in the finals due to their sheer talent and incredible grit.

But none was as fearsome and marauding as the Cool Smashers, who swept their way straight to the finals with a perfect record of 13 victories, including 11 in the elimination round.

The proud franchise has the troika of Jemma Galanza, Tots Carlos and team captain Alyssa Valdez to thank for.

Chemistry, too.

“Alam naman natin ang biggest strength namin ay yung familiarity namin sa isa’t isa at matagal na din kami magkakasama,” said Creamlime coach Sherwin Meneses.

Another major piece in Creamline’s meteoric ascent was setter Kyle Negrito, who had admirably and impeccably filled in the massive void left by Jia de Guzman, who is now in Japan.

Negrito was so astonishingly impressive that it felt like the unflappable former starting setter never left.

Creamline, which has made the finals a league record 10 times, will be on the cusp of claiming its seventh crown — another PVL best — that would further entrenched it as the league’s greatest team of all time.

Standing in the way to Creamline’s continuous ascension to more greatness is Choco Mucho, which has beaten everybody except the mightiest ones — the Cool Smashers.

“Hindi lang top four ang goal namin, step by step, championship and hopefully we reach our goal,” said Choco Mucho setter Deanna Wong, who has improved by leaps and bounds and emerged as the catalyst to the Flying Titans’ historic finals appearance.

Sisi Rondina, a strong MVP contender, should also continue to fuel Choco Mucho’s powerful attacking game along with a vast armory of lethal spikers — Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde, Cherry Nunag, Maddie Madayag and Isa Molde.

Preceding the finals is the battle for third between Cignal and Chery Tiggo, another best-of-three affair, at 4 p.m.

And then it will be Sister Act Part 1 at 6 p.m.