By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Tuesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
1:30 p.m. – Farm Fresh vs Capital1
4 p.m. – Choco Mucho vs Nxled
6:30 p.m. – Cignal vs PLDT
PLDT tries to protect its pristine record at the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference when it clashes with Cignal on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Another win for the High Speed Hitters in their 6:30 p.m. tussle with the Super Spikers not only would hike their win-loss tally to 3-0, but would also extend their winning streak to 16 games dating back to their dominant title runs in the On Tour and Invitational Conference.
Farm Fresh also aims to protect their record unscathed when it guns for a third straight victory in as many games in its 1:30 p.m. opening duel with Capital1 (1-1), while Nxled seeks to end its two-game slump in its 4 p.m. confrontation with Choco Mucho (1-1).
The spotlight, however, is on three-peat-seeking PLDT, which have so far remained flawless with straight-set wins in its last encounters with Capital1 and Choco Mucho.
Slowly but surely, import Anastasiia Bavykina continues to jell well with the High Speed Hitters, big thanks to the ample support coming from Savi Davison.
The dynamic duo remained PLDT’s offensive core, especially after combining for 32 points the last time.
Also out to bolster the High Speed Hitters are Kianna Dy, Dell Palomata, Kim Fajardo and Kath Arado, making their frontline formidable.
PLDT, however, remains wary of Cignal, which struggled in its last matches against Choco Mucho and Farm Fresh that put them at 0-2.
Reinforced by Eva Chantava, the Super Spikers hope to find their rhythm with Erika Santos, Ishie Lalongisip and Jackie Acuña also leading their way.
Meanwhile, Farm Fresh has also been baring its fangs with its explosive import Helene Rousseaux in front of its assault, including a 38-point performance in her debut against Nxled.
Another win for the Foxies can virtually secure them a Top 3 spot in Pool A, a key step toward advancing to the next round.
But Capital1 is coming off a morale-boosting win over Nxled, led by import Sasha Bytsenko’s historic 39-point explosion – the highest individual output so far in the conference. Top rookie Bella Belen also showed poise beyond her years with a 15-point outing, finally securing her first win in the pros.
Their matchup against Rousseaux and the deep Farm Fresh bench – which includes veterans Ces Molina, Rizza Cruz, Lorene Toring and Riri Meneses – promises to be a high-octane battle of scorers and tactical wits.
