Quarterfinalists Cignal will try to maintain their momentum in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Thursday.
Games Thursday
(PhilSports Arena)
1 p.m. — Capital1 vs Farm Fresh
3 p.m. — Akari vs Nxled
5 p.m. — Cignal vs Galeries Tower
The unbeaten Chargers take on the Nxled Chameleons at 3 p.m., while the HD Spikers battle winless Galeries Tower Highrisers at 5 p.m.
Akari, which has a 6-0 record, will be spearheaded by import Oly Okaro with support coming from Ivy Lacsina, Grethcel Soltones, Ced Domingo, Camille Victoria, Joy Soyud, Ezra Madrigal, Kamille Cal, Dani Ravena and Alexandra Juangco.
Nxled, on the other hand, will bank on import Meegan Hart and local talents Jho Maraguinot, May Luna, and Trisha Genesis to improve its 1-6 card.
Meanwhile, import MJ Perez and locals Ces Molina and Gel Cayuna will lead Cignal, which is tied with PLDT at 5-1.
In another important match, Capital1 eyes its fifth win and a quarterfinal slot against Farm Fresh at 1 p.m.
The Solar Spikers, who are in joint fourth with the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, will lean anew on Russian import Marina Tushova, the league's leading scorer.
THE big question heading into Thursday's matches is whether quarterfinalists Akari and Cignal should adopt a more cautious approach to avoid injuries or continue to go all out to maintain their momentum and competitive edge.
The answer will soon be clear as the unbeaten Chargers face off their struggling sister team, the Nxled Chameleons, while the joint No. 2 HD Spikers take on the winless Galeries Tower Highrisers at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.Given the teams' current standings, the outcomes seem as predictable as rain in the wet season — but surprises have been a hallmark of this Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
Akari is a prime example of such surprises. Once considered an underdog due to the depth of talent among the perennial favorites, the Chargers have surged to the top with six consecutive victories, securing the first quarterfinal berth.
Oly Okaro has reignited the team's aspirations following a seventh-place finish in the recent All-Filipino Conference. Since joining the league in 2022, Akari had never finished higher than seventh. But with their flawless start, the Chargers' future looks bright.
CAPITAL1 Solar will try to complete its transformation from prey to predator as it guns for a quarterfinal berth against Farm Fresh Thursday in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena.
From a 1-11 team in the All Filipino Conference early in the year, the Solar Spikers have metamorphosed into a legitimate contender after snaring four of their first six games including shock wins over established teams like Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho.
And it was because of a lethal weapon from Russia named Marina Tushova, who has averaged an astonishing 33 points a game and 42 points in the last three where she scored 45, 32 and a new-league record 49 points.
The Foxies, however, are expected to go all out for a win as they are desperately hanging by the thread in the heated quarters race.
To date, Farm Fresh is tied with Choco Mucho with 2-4 cards but has the lower FIVB tiebreaker.
If Capital1 wins, it will join Akari (6-0) and Cignal (5-1) in the knockout quarters.
Despite being assured of a spot in the next phase, the Chargers and HD Spikers are expected to shoot for a win against the Chameleons (1-5) at 3 p.m. and Galeries Tower Highrisers (0-6) at 5 p.m.
