MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Creamline Cool Smashers are now shifting their focus to national team duties after successfully retaining their Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference crown against rivals Petro Gazz on Thursday.
Seven members of the newly crowned champions will see action in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games: Alyssa Valdez, Jia De Guzman, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao, Celine Domingo and Kyla Atienza.
The Filipina volleybelles will try to return to the SEA Games podium in Cambodia for the first time since 2005, and Gumabao hopes they can do so with the Cool Smashers' mindset in place.
"It's good because andiyan naman si Coach Sherwin [Meneses], so the system, hopefully, ma-adapt namin yung system from Creamline," Gumabao told the media after winning the PVL All-Filipino championship.
"We have seven players [in the team], so at least, we can also share to them our culture, yung 'happy-happy' namin na mentality. Hopefully we can bring that and contribute to the national team," she added.
There will be no rest for the weary as the players will be plunging back into training so soon, even after taking care of business in their club team.
But Gumabao isn't complaining and believes that she and the rest of her teammates are ready to step up to the plate.
"We're just ready talaga kung ano 'yung challenge and ano 'yung hihingiin din sa amin, to be able to work with a new set of coaches and teammates. So pabor din sa amin, para maka-experience din kami ng mas maganda and mas mataas na level ng laro," she said.
In the last edition of the SEA Games in Hanoi last year, the Philippines ended up 4th among five participating countries with a 1-4 win-loss record.