MANILA, Philippines -- Creamline pulled off a huge recruitment coup after tapping former Ateneo de Manila University star setter Jia Morado as the Cool Smashers begin their build up for the inaugural Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Cool Smashers team manager Sherwin Malonzo confirmed the addition of the two-time UAAP champion. Morado could be the missing piece Creamline, which is looking surpass its Reinforced Conference third place finish recently, needs to contend for the title.

Aside from Morado, the Cool Smashers management is also looking at adding more key pieces to beef up the squad including another former Lady Eagle in Michelle Morente.

“Siya (Morado) pa lang (ang nakuha ng team),” said Malonzo in a message sent to ABS-CBN Sports. “Still working out the others.”

Morado, UAAP Season 77 Best Setter, will be reunited with three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player and PVL reigning MVP Alyssa Valdez in the tournament set to open on July 1.

The 22-year-old playmaker played alongside Valdez in the UAAP for three years where the duo delivered the Katipunan-based squad to back-to-back UAAP crowns from Season 76 to 77. Morado played her fourth and last stint as a Lady Eagle a month ago in Ateneo’s painful UAAP Season 79 Finals series loss to archrival De La Salle University.

She announced her ‘graduation’ from the team at the Church of the Gesu in Ateneo a few hours after the Lady Eagles’ championship loss.

Meanwhile, Morente, who was cut from the Ateneo volleyball squad for the second time in three years due to academic problems, will give Creamline added firepower if her inclusion will be finalized.

This article originally appeared on the ABS-CBN Sports website.

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