By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Thursday
(Filoil Centre)
4 p.m. – Akari vs PLDT
6:30 p.m. – Nxled vs Galeries Tower
The firepower of the deadly trio in Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips and Myla Pablo will once again be put on display as Nxled squares off with Galeries Tower on Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Centre in San Juan City.
Match is at 6:30 p.m. with the Chameleons seeking to extend their winning run to four matches.
Van Sickle, Phillips and Pablo have extended their winning act to Nxled and ,with their consistent showing, they pulled off a hard-fought 25-19, 25-22, 27-25 victory against Cignal over the weekend.
Meanwhile , the Capital1’s Bella Belen received her PSA Miss Volleyball award from members of the PVL Press Corps on Tuesday moments after the team’s gripping 5-set win over Choco Mucho.
The win not only showcased the troika’ strength, but also fueled the Chameleons in halting the Super Spikers’ three-game winning streak to wrest the lead in the standings.
In that match, the trio combined for 40 points, including 28 kills for both Phillips and Van Sickle, and three blocks from Pablo.
Despite their strong start, Nxled coach Ettore Guidetti refuses to let his squad be complacent, especially against a Galeries Tower side eager to rebound from a stinging loss.
“We just know every single game, we have a big target on our back,” said Guidetti, who is also casting his eyes on Jules Tolentino and Lyann De Guzman to fuel the crew.
Galeries Tower, carrying a 1-2 record following that four-set defeat to Farm Fresh, is ready for the challenge as it aims to pull off an upset behind Azia Pontillas, Erika Deloria and Roselle Baliton.
Also putting its unbeaten record on the line is PLDT, which takes on struggling Akari in the 4 p.m. opener.
Trailing Nxled by only one game with their 2-0 card, the High Speed Hitters are out to carry the momentum of their latest four-set win over the Capital1 Solar Spikers.
Kianna Dy, who currently leads the spiking department, is expected to lead PLDT’s offense with Majoy Baron and Savi Davison — the top 2 blockers at the moment — anchor the team’s defensive effort at the net.
Akari, for its part, has yet to find its rhythm after suffering back-to-back defeats to ZUS Coffee and Choco Mucho, dropping to 0-2 at the bottom of the standings.
Fifi Sharma, Ivy Lacsina and Ced Domingo have been leading the Chargers, but would need more support from their teammates.
