PVL: Even in her crowning moment, Finals MVP Bernadeth Pons shines spotlight on Creamline teammates

Returning to indoor volleyball this 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, star outside hitter Bernadeth Pons left her mark anew, helping the Creamline Cool Smashers win their 11th overall league championship.

The 2025 All-Filipino Best Open Spiker opened the finals series with 11 points, 15 excellent digs, and five receptions, contributing to a game one sweep against Cignal.

Pons then turned it up a notch in Game Two, amassing team-highs of 22 points, 25 excellent digs, and 15 excellent receptions, steering her team to the title.

Due to her excellent performances in the two pressure-packed finals games, the 29-year-old Pons was awarded with Finals Most Valuable Player honors.

Pons said, though, that she was able to sustain such a level of play because of her teammates who always push for greatness, even in unseen hours at training.

“Sobrang grateful ko lang din siguro talaga sa teammates ko na meron ako sa Creamline. Kung hindi naman dahil sa kanila, hindi ko rin talaga mailalabas kung ano talaga 'yung laro ko kasi iba kasi din 'yung environment ng team,” said Pons.

“Lahat kasi talaga ipu-push ka paangat. So challenge din talaga everyday sa training and sobrang grateful ako sa bawat isa na pinu-push din talaga namin 'yung bawat isa na mag-excel.”

(I'm so grateful for the teammates that I have in Creamline. If not for them, I wouldn't be able to show my game, because the environment on the team is something else... Everyone pushes you up. So it's a challenge everyday in training and I'm so grateful for everyone, we all push each other to excel.)

From going on a break to take part in a historic Southeast Asian Games gold medal winning beach volleyball team to returning as one of the main protagonists in Creamline's reclaiming of the All-Filipino throne, Pons is just glad that all their hard work has paid off.

“Sobrang saya. Iba ‘yung saya ng conference ngayon. Kasi sabi nga namin, hindi talaga madali. Ang daming struggles, daming challenges sa team pero na-survive namin lahat,” reflected the Finals MVP.

“Worth it lahat ng effort and sacrifices namin simula noong January 2 noong nag-training na kami,” she added.

(I'm so happy. This conference has been different. We told each other, it really wasn't going to be easy. We went through a lot of struggles and challenges but we survived it all... All of the effort and sacrifice we made since January 2 when we started training, it's all worth it.)

—JMB, GMA News