MANILA – All eyes were on setter Kyle Negrito when she debuted as the main playmaker of the defending champions Creamline Cool Smashers on Sunday against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans.

Before the start of the second All-Filipino Conference, Jia de Guzman surprised the volleyball community when she announced her signing with Denso Airybees in Japan's V.League, leaving the Cool Smashers.

• Jia de Guzman to play for Denso Airybees in Japan's V.League

This elevated Negrito’s role in the team as the chief operator of the Creamline’s offense – and she did not disappoint in her first game at the Araneta Coliseum.

Negrito tallied 23 excellent sets aside from three points in the 25-18, 25-16, 24-26, 25-21 victory over the Flying Titans for their opening win in the season-ending conference.

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According to the setter, De Guzman did not leave the team instantly. She made sure to prepare the squad without her.

“Si ate Jia (De Guzman) naman po bago naman siya umalis, pinrepare naman din niya yung team nang maayos. ‘Di naman din niya kami pinabayaan na basta umalis na lang siya so ako rin po, pinrepare din ako ni ate Jia,” she said in the post-game match.

Negrito also admitted that she felt heavily nervous heading to the first game but she rather considered it as a good kind of nerves.

• PVL: Without key players, Creamline stuns Choco Mucho to start All-Filipino stint

She jokingly said that her team were just patient of her setting and that she just stuck on head coach Sherwin Meneses’ system.

“My team is very patient. Yun lang po talaga, as in tulad ng sinabi nila coach kanina na talagang itong magiging season na ‘to is magtutulungan talaga kami, magtatrabaho kami every game and syempre simula sa training,” Negrito shared.

Creamline also missed the services of Ced Domingo and libero Kyla Atienza. They also fielded Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos for a short period in the game.

• 'Perfect time' for de Guzman to pursue dream of becoming an import