MANILA, Philippines — Despite being sidelined for much of the semifinals due to a thumb injury, Jema Galanza came back strong to lead Creamline’s crucial Game 2 win over Petro Gazz in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals, pushing the series to a deciding Game 3.
Stepping up in place of team captain Alyssa Valdez, Galanza tallied 13 points, including the match-winning service ace, helping the Cool Smashers outlast Petro Gazz in another five-set showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, witnessed by over 11,000 fans.
“Sinasabi lang namin sa isa’t isa, ‘Kaya natin ‘to,’” said Galanza. “Hindi kami papayag na matatapos ang season na ‘di kami magcha-champion.”
(“We kept telling ourselves, ‘We can do this.’ We weren’t going to accept that this season would end without us getting that championship.”)
Creamline nearly saw a repeat of Game 1 when Petro Gazz forced a deciding set and took an early advantage. But Galanza, alongside Bernadeth Pons and Pangs Panaga, regained control to snatch the win.
“Sa Game 1, hindi naging maganda ang fifth set namin, kaya ngayon talaga tiniyaga namin yung maliliit na bagay—receive, setup ni Kyle [Negrito], at hakbang-hakbang para makontrol ang laro,” Galanza explained.
(“In Game 1, our fifth set didn’t go well, so this time we really focused on the small things—receiving, Kyle’s setting, and taking it step by step to better control the match.”)
“Binalewala na lang namin yung first four sets—tapos na ‘yun. Nag-focus kami sa 15 points na kailangan naming makuha. Nagtulungan kami, nagdasal, at kumapit talaga sa laban. Kaya ito ang resulta… magkita-kita tayo sa Sabado!”
(“We just chose to forget about those first four sets—they were done. We focused on the 15 points we needed to get. We trusted each other, we prayed, and we really held on tight in this game. And this is the result… see you all on Saturday!”)
The reigning All-Filipino Finals MVP, who also fueled a near comeback in Game 1, embraced her return to the starting six under Coach Sherwin Meneses, sparking Creamline’s solid opening set.
“Masaya ako na mas matagal akong nakapaglaro ngayon. Pero higit sa lahat, yung tiwalang binigay sa akin nina Coach She at ng buong team, ang laking bagay nun. Ginawa ko lang trabaho ko. Isang laro na lang, isang kalaban na lang. Lahat ng focus nandun na. Wala nang ibang mahalaga kundi gawin ang bahagi ko,” she said.
(“I’m happy I got to play longer this time. But more than that, the trust the team and Coach She gave me really meant a lot. I just had to do my job. One more game, one last opponent. All focus is on that. Nothing else matters but doing my part.”)
As they chase their fifth straight All-Filipino crown and 11th overall title in Game 3 at Philsports Arena, Galanza emphasized the value of pushing through their toughest journey yet.
“Iniisip na lang namin gaano kahaba itong season, lahat ng hirap na dinaanan namin… ayaw naming masayang lahat ng iyon. Huling laban na. Ibinubuhos na namin lahat ng lakas namin,” Galanza said.
(“We just think about how long this season has been, all the challenges we went through… we don’t want all that effort to go to waste. It’s the last game. We’re giving it everything—every bit of strength we have.”)
“Isa ito sa pinakamahirap na finals na dinaanan namin. Kaya kung manalo kami, sobrang sarap nun. Yayakapin namin lahat ng pressure at ie-enjoy namin bawat sandali,” she added.
(“This feels like one of the toughest championship series we’ve been through, so if we win it, it’s going to be so meaningful. We’re going to embrace all the pressure and enjoy every moment of it.”)
