By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Thursday
(FilOil EcoOil Arena)
4 p.m. – Creamline vs Nxled
6:30 p.m. – Akari vs Cignal
Creamline and Akari seek to fortify their respective quarterfinal bids as the race further heats up in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City on Thursday, Nov. 6.
The Cool Smashers square off with the struggling Nxled Chameleons at 4 p.m. while the Chargers battle the Cignal Super Spikers in the 6:30 p.m. in the day’s double-header ushering the start of the second round of the eliminations.
The second phase of the tournament pits the top three teams in Pool A against the bottom three from Pool B and vice versa, with each squad carrying over their respective win-loss records from pool play.
Creamline, fresh from a commanding victory over Chery Tiggo, enters the next round with renewed confidence after finishing the first phase with a 3-2 record at No. 2 behind unbeaten ZUS Coffee (5-0) in Pool B.
As expected, veterans Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao, Tots Carlos and Pangs Panaga form the Cool Smashers’ strong frontline along with Coco Schwan.
But Creamline is not taking Nxled lightly, knowing that the Chameleons are not giving up to clinch that elusive first win and end their five-game slump.
Spanish import Paola Martinez is expected to step up anew after posting consistent significant numbers, but would need more support from locals like Chiara Permentilla, Lyann de Guzman and Lycha Ebon.
In the other pairing, Akari hopes to bounce back from a recent stinging five-set loss to ZUS Coffee, where it squandered a two-set advantage and never recovered.
Determined to clean up their game that put them at 3-2, Akari is expected to rely anew on import Annie Mitchem, Eli Soyud, Ced Domingo and Fifi Sharma to match Cignal’s own arsenal composed of new import Katrin Trebichavska, Erika Santos, Vanie Gandler and Ishie Lalongisip.
