Three heavyweight squads are set to intensify their quest for quarterfinal berths when they tackle separate foes in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference on Tuesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
PLDT collides with winless — but unpredictable — ZUS Coffee at 5 p.m. following the 1 p.m. battle between Chery Tiggo and Choco Mucho and the 3 p.m. encounter between Creamline and Petro Gazz as the race to the playoffs of this import-flavored conference heats up.
Games today:
(Philsports Arena)
1 p.m. — Chery Tiggo
vs Choco Mucho
3 p.m. — Creamline vs Petro Gazz
5 p.m. — PLDT vs ZUS Coffee
After red-hot starts, the High Speed Hitters, the Crossovers and the Cool Smashers are all eager to maintain their winning streaks against squads who are desperate to catch the bus headed for the quarterfinals.
With identical 4-1 records from the first round of pool preliminaries, Chery Tiggo, Creamline and PLDT aim to secure another win to join early quarterfinalists — the unbeaten Akari Chargers (6-0) and the Cignal HD Spikers (5-1).
All eyes, however, will be on Chery Tiggo as it battles a Choco Mucho side that will be missing the presence of star spiker Sisi Rondina, who remains with Alab Pilipinas.
Import Zoi Fakes’ underwhelming three-point performance in a brief two-set appearance during their recent loss to the Angels exemplifies the Flying Titans’ struggles.
Although Dindin Manabat has added firepower since joining during the season break, the rest of the squad must step up to keep their hopes alive for a last-minute push to the quarterfinals.
Despite key players being unavailable — such as those still with Alas and EJ Laure due to injury — Chery Tiggo coach Kungfu Reyes has benefited from strong performances by Ara Galang, Pauline Gaston, Shaya Adorador, Aby Maraño, Seth Rodriguez and Mary Rhose Dapol, with import Kath Bell consistently delivering the scoring and intangibles necessary to keep the team winning.
In the second game, the Cool Smashers will be facing a revitalized Petro Gazz team. Although playing without injured stars Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza, the Cool Smashers have showcased their depth bannered by import Erica Staunton, along with Michele Gumabao, Bernadeth Pons, Bea de Leon, Pangs Panaga, Risa Sato and setter Kyle Negrito.
But Petro Gazz’s recent win, which improved its record to 2-3, will likely fuel their determination.
Wilma Salas and Brooke van Sickle are eager to build on their combined 35-point output from their last match, while former Most Valuable Player Myla Pablo, having regained her form, is ready to contribute after an 11-point performance in her previous full-game appearance.
