Galanza rises above pressure
SURROUNDED by 5,921 spectators, majority of whom are rooting for the team to win, the heavily favored Creamline put on a show and kept their finals bid alive by turning back the gutsy Petro Gazz in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) 2024 All-Filipino Conference semifinals at the PhilSports Arena on Thursday, May 2.
Escaping with a tightly-fought 27-25, 23-25, 27-25, 26-24 victory against the Angels, Creamline’s Jema Galanza shared how she and her squad managed to handle the pressure amid the deafening cheers of the crowd.
Galanza rises above pressure
“It feels good to play because apart from the audience, the pressure is there, and that’s where we are right now. It is nice to play under pressure sometimes since you channel all your energy and put it all in play,” Galanza said after the game.
Galanza flaunted her attacking prowess and was named Player of the Game on Thursday with 23 points on 20 attacks, two blocks, and an ace.
The pressure for the Cool Smashers to win heightened after the defending champion opened their semifinals campaign with a loss to sister team Choco Mucho.
The Flying Titans snapped their 12-game skid over Creamline in a five-set thriller, 13-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 18-16, last Tuesday, April 30.
The loss made Thursday’s game a “must-win” for Creamline.
Galanza, the 2019 PVL Open Conference Most Valuable Player, said that coming to their match against Petro Gazz served as a test of their mettle.
“With pressure, you can test how you will handle it when you play. We just enjoyed every moment and used every opportunity. We just reminded each other that the game is not yet over despite our opponent already leading,” Galanza said.
With Creamline tallying a 1-1 win-loss card in the semifinals, Galanza said they need to win against Chery Tiggo (0-2) in their next game.
“In every situation that happens, we are ready, we will work on it. It is still far, and it is still not yet over. I do not feel satisfied yet with how we play, we will know that once we reach our end goal,” she said.