Unbeaten Cool Smashers keep Thunderbelles winless

MANILA, Philippines — The defending champion Creamline notched its third straight victory after defeating the winless ZUS Coffee, 25-19, 16-25, 26-24, 25-17, in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference–Siklab Series on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. Creamline improved to 3-0 win-loss record, tied with Nxled at the top of the standings, while ZUS Coffee dropped to 0-3 and joined Galeries Tower Highrisers at the bottom of the team standings. Bernadeth Pons led the Cool Smashers with a double-double performance of 16 points and 14 excellent receptions. Decorated playmaker Jia De Guzman orchestrated the offense with 17 excellent sets.  Middle blocker Pangs Panaga scored 15 points and Tots Carlos added 10 points for the Cool Smashers. Under the Siklab Series’ “all-to-play” rule, which requires every player listed on the statistical sheet to see at least one minute of action, head coach Sherwin Meneses admitted he is still searching for the team’s ideal combination. “Actually, we don’t know how to do it yet, since this is the first time in the Philippines that we’re following an ‘all-to-play’ format,” Meneses said, referring to the second frame where Creamline lost.  “It’s about the players, and we gave our trust to them. As a coach,...