Tots Carlos (left) will be leading the glamorous Creamline nucleus made up of (to right) Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao and Kyle Negrito in the coming season. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Despite a dynastic-like reign in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), Creamline is not about to take its foot off the gas pedal when the new season gets off the ground in just a few weeks.
“We’re just always ready to play our hearts out for the people, for the fans, everyone who supports the team,” Tots Carlos, who on Monday night received her award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) in a glitzy affair at Diamond Hotel, said on the red carpet as she was flanked by the core of the Cool Smashers that gave her support.
The Cool Smashers remain to be an intact lot despite the departure of Ced Domingo to Akari and Jia de Guzman still playing in Japan.
With Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Kyle Negrito, Michele Gumabao, Creamline still has one of the most explosive cores in the league. Throw in the addition of Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla and the Cool Smashers will come into the All-Filipino Conference starting Feb. 20 still armed to the teeth.
Monday night, though, belonged to Carlos, the power-leaping former University of the Philippines ace who was named by the PSA as its Ms. Volleyball for the year that passed.
After being the third-leading scorer of the team on the way to a perfect 15-0 record for the All-Filipino crown last season, Carlos has stayed grounded despite her achievements.
‘Credit to my teammates’
“I was happy [when I learned I am the Ms. Volleyball] because the team is being recognized for all of our hard work, of each and everyone of us and I am so grateful because who would’ve thought that I will get such an award,” Carlos, with a mix of Filipino, said.
“Champion players, champion team so, I always say that I give the credit to my teammates because I wouldn’t be here, where I am, without them,” she added.
Carlos also won the Finals Most Valuable Player award.
And no one seemed happier for her than Valdez, herself a many-time winner of the PSA citation. She is obviously heading to the twilight of a great career and is pleased that Creamline will be left in very capable hands.
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“I’m very proud of her (Carlos). It’s always such an honor to be alongside amazing women like Tots who is representing the country very well,” Valdez, the former Ateneo star, said. “And I can’t really wait to see her grow more and improve her skills more and to be Ms. Volleyball for the longest time as well.” INQ
