Unbeaten Cignal and Akari aim for one more win each before their much-anticipated face-off, seeking victories against separate rivals to maintain control of Pool B in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Thursday.
The Chargers face a winless ZUS Coffee side in the 5 p.m. match, while the HD Spikers have a tougher challenge against the two-time champion Petro Gazz Angels in the 1 p.m. opener of another thrilling triple-header.
Choco Mucho and Capital1, meanwhile, break their 1-2 tie with Petro Gazz as the Flying Titans clash with the Solar Spikers at 3 p.m.
Venezuelan wing spiker MJ Perez, Ces Molina, and Jackie Acuna of Cignal brace for a grind-out battle with the Angels’ duo of reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle and Cuban opposite hitter Wilma Salas in pursuit of a fourth consecutive victory in their group in the mid-season conference organized by Sports Vision.
Despite Petro Gazz’s early struggles in the import-laced conference, having lost their last two games against the Solar Spikers and the Chargers, Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos emphasized the need to respect their opponents.
“Of course, another win is a big help,” said delos Santos following their four-set win over the Thunderbelles last weekend. “It’s more about recovery, and we have three days to study them. Knowing Petro Gazz, we will give them the respect they deserve, but we also need to deliver an even stronger fight.”
On the other hand, American opposite spiker Oly Okaro, the tournament's leading scorer with 85 points, is expected to lead the charge for the Chargers against Japanese winger Asaka Tamaru and the Thunderbelles.
Akari coach Taka Minowa, however, will aim for an early control of the match to avoid another protracted battle, which could take a toll on the Chargers in crucial stages of the tournament following back-to-back five-set escapes against the Flying Titans and the Angels.
Providing support for Okaro will be Grethcel Soltones, Ivy Lacsina, Kamille Cal, Camille Victoria and Michelle Cobb. Meanwhile, Gayle Pascual, Michelle Gamit, Ypril Tapia and Dolly Versoza will back Tamaru in their effort to secure their first win.
Cignal and Akari are set to clash Tuesday (Aug. 6) in what promises to be a thrilling duel between teams featuring explosive imports and a reliable local crew.
In the other match, Russian spiker Marina Tushova, Des Clemente, and Iris Toleneda will lead Capital1's attack against Royse Tubino, Isa Molde, and Maddie Madayag of the Flying Titans.
Games are broadcast live on Pilipinas Live, RPTV, One Sports, One Sports+, and pvl.ph.
