Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima against Creamline Cool Smashers in the AVC Champions League. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Creamline bowed out of the AVC Women’s Champions League quarterfinals after  Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima sealed a semifinal matchup against Zhetysu of Kazakhstan with a win on Thursday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

The champion Thai team swept the Cool Smashers 25-15, 25-22, 25-16 in the knockout playoffs, advancing closer to the title round riding a third straight win.

READ: AVC: Creamline no answer for ‘very talented, very tall’ Zhetsyu team

“The experience was the best ever. I feel like we’re so blessed … I feel like we came out with fire and energy, and we’re coming for that championship,” Anyse Marleeof Nakhon Ratchasima  Smith said after putting up 13 points.

“I feel like our game plan and us being able to go to practice and knowing what we want to come out and do, we established it early and we swept them today.”

The Cool Smashers, the second team from the Philippines to exit after PLDT also crashed out earlier in the day, wrapped up their campaign hoping they could have done better.

“We’re happy we got to play in the AVC again even if that was the result. Hopefully, in the next international tournament, we can prepare better, but there are no excuses—we really just didn’t make the semifinals. We’re still happy and this experience is a big help for us,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses.

Creamline Cool Smashers’ Bernadeth Pons. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Nakhon Ratchasima had control throughout the match, drawing out a 5-1 rally late in the match to bury Creamline in a 23-14 deficit. The Thais only had a mishap that gave Creamline a point before Jema Galanza scored.

But Saowapha Soosuk unwrapped an emphatic kill that secured Nakhon Ratchasima’s semifinal slot.

Petro Gazz is the last local team hunting for a semifinal seat as it battles Chinese power Beijing BAIC Motor on Friday at 7 p.m.

Import Anastasiya Kudryashova paced Creamline with nine points, Bernadeth Pons contributed eight and Anastassiya Kolomoyets had seven.

“I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to play here. Like I said before, this is my first time representing the Philippines in indoor volleyball, and I even got to do it with Creamline,” said Pons, who couldn’t help but get emotional.

“I just really enjoyed every moment I was on the court. I’m just very, very grateful,” she added.

Onuma Sittirak and Sasipapron Janthawisut, meanwhile, contributed 12 points apiece for the Thais.