Cignal, Akari favored
POOL B co-leaders Cignal and Akari aim for another victory before their much-anticipated face-off next week, while Choco Mucho and Capital1 collide in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena today.
The HD Spikers will have tough challenge against defending two-time champion Petro Gazz in the 1 p.m. opener of triple-header. Both clubs in the league’s most recent Reinforced Conference Finals in 2022.
Enjoying their finest start since joining the PVL two years ago, the Chargers face a ZUS Coffee side still searching for a breakthrough victory in the 5 p.m. match.
Cignal and Akari are sporting similar 3-0 records, positioning themselves well for the second round of the preliminaries.
The top three teams will compete against the bottom three in Pool A for spots in the quarterfinals.
The Flying Titans and the Solar Spikers, locked in a three-way logjam with the Angels at 1-2, break their tie at 3 p.m.
Despite PetroGazz’s early struggles in the import-laced conference, having its last two matches, Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos emphasized the need to respect its opponents.
“Of course, another win is a big help,” said Delos Santos following their four-set win over the Thunderbelles last weekend.
MJ Perez’s leadership will come to handy for the HD Spikers, while the Angels’ bulk of offense goes to Wilma Salas and Brooke Van Sickle.
“It’s more about recovery, and we have three days to study them. Knowing PetroGazz, we will give them the respect they deserve, but we also need to deliver an even stronger fight,” Delos Santos said.
On the other hand, American opposite spiker Oly Okaro, the tournament’s leading scorer with 85 points, is expected to lead the charge for Akari against Asaka Tamaru-led ZUS Coffee.
The Chargers’ Japanese coach Taka Minowa, however, will aim for an early control of the match to avoid another protracted battle. Akari had to settle for second place with seven points following back-to-back five-set victories.
