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Sister teams Creamline, Choco Mucho collide in penultimate week of Reinforced Conference preliminaries
No love lost as the Creamline Cool Smashers and Choco Mucho Flying Titans go head-to-head for the first time this tournament in a much-anticipated showdown.
Erika Staunton and the red-hot Creamline Cool Smashers aim to inch closer to a playoff berth, by playing against Zoi Faki and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans. | Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports
Every game counts.
As all 12 teams jockey for playoff position heading to the penultimate week of the PVL Reinforced Conference preliminaries, the final push is expected to intensify inside the taraflex.
Every match carries significance in determining who will be the top eight teams that will advance into the knockout quarterfinals. And there’s just a small margin of separation among the teams.
Mark your calendars anew, PVL fans, as a brand new week of volleyball is set to blaze the hardcourt.
Hotline w-i-n anew or a caffeinated upset in the works?
The PLDT High Speed Hitters capped off their final pool A play on a winning note, scoring a bounce-back sweep over the Farm Fresh Foxies and finished second behind the Creamline Cool Smashers in Pool A.
A vintage Kim Fajardo showed up and steered the High Speed Hitters into the next round carding a 4-1 record.
Russian super scorer Elena Samoilenko remains a prolific offensive standout with her team-leading 21 points per game. Consistent local support coming from Erika Santos, Fiola Ceballos, Majoy Baron, and Mika Reyes was also a key cog in their strong start.
As for the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, the search for the elusive first win continues as Japanese import Asaka Tamaru hopes to receive strong support from Michelle Gamit, Gayle Pascual, Cloanne Mondoñedo and Co.
Dropping their first five games, a late playoff push is still possible but it would take a nearly improbable task to get it done.
PLDT enters the game as heavy favorites but a ZUS Coffee upset can’t be ruled out.
Game 1: Capital1 Solar Spikers vs. Farm Fresh Foxies | 1:00 p.m.
Game 2: Akari Chargers vs. Nxled Chameleons | 3:00 p.m.
Game 3: Cignal HD Spikers vs. Galeries Tower Highrisers | 5:00 p.m.
All games are LIVE on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app
Sister teams Akari and Nxled will finally square off for the first time since their blockbuster mega-trade in an intriguing Thursday showdown.
If you were to guess which team remains the only unbeaten squad so far in the tournament and the first to reach the playoffs, your answer would probably be the usual suspects between Creamline, Petro Gazz, PLDT or Choco Mucho.
Well, think again.
That record belongs to the surging Akari Chargers, who boast a league-best 6-0 record and have clinched their first-ever playoff-berth after a marathon five-set win over the Galeries Tower Highrisers.
On paper, Akari is on track to clinch the no. 1 seed come the knockout playoffs if it manages to complete an eight-game preliminary sweep.
Import Oly Okaro seems to be the perfect import for the Chargers, figuring among thetop three scorers in the league.
Transferees Ivy Lacsina, Dani Ravena, Kamille Cal, and Cams Victoria, alongside Ced Domingo, evolved to become integral pieces to Akari’s perfect run and put all the work needed to help their high-scoring import.
But if the Chargers’ changes all turned out to be for the better, it’s the opposite for the Chameleons.
Nxled is on a five-game skid and needs to turn its season around as soon as possible to make the playoffs. The Chameleons suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss against a Marina Tushova-led Capital1 Solar Spikers, putting a huge dent in their postseason dreams.
Can Akari keep their immaculate run intact or will Nxled be the one to finally send their rival back to reality?
August 17, Saturday – Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay
Game 1: Zus Coffee Thunderbelles vs. Chery Tiggo Crossovers | 1:00 p.m.
Game 2: Petro Gazz Angels vs. PLDT High Speed Hitters | 3:00 p.m.
Game 3: Choco Mucho Flying Titans vs. Creamline Cool Smashers | 5:00 p.m.
All games are LIVE on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app
In the first PVL Reinforced Conference gameday outside of Pasig, all eyes will be on other sister teams treading opposite paths so far.
The Creamline Cool Smashers and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans will meet for the first time this tournament in Pool C action, and there is no love lost between the finalists of the last two All-Filipino editions.
The Cool Smashers finished the opening group stage as the no.1 ranked-team in Pool A, racking up four straight wins after dropping their first game against the High Speed Hitters.
Import Erika Staunton, the seventh top scorer in the league, remains a force to be reckoned on offense. But it was the rise of Bernadeth Pons that truly helped the Cool Smashers hold the fort without their injured stars and those playing for the national team.
Pons is norming 16.6 points in five games, becoming the top local scorer of the team with the ever-reliables in team captain Michele Gumabao, Risa Sato, and Bea De Leon all giving their fair share.
Meanwhile, the Flying Titans are off to a rough start that included back-to-back losses in their final Pool B games.
At 1-4, Chocó Mucho needs to get its act together, especially import Zoi Faki, as soon as possible in hopes of even making it to the playoffs.
The Greek import, who is averaging 10.6 points per game this tournament, managed to just tally three points in the Flying Titans’ straight-set loss against defending champion Petro Gazz Angels.
It was Dindin Santiago-Manabat who was the lone twin-digit scorer for her team and it became more evident that a depleted local core is too much to overcome–at least for now–for Choco Mucho.
Nonetheless, expect another classic battle between the two crowd-favorite squads as the race for the playoffs heats up in the Heart of Volleyball.