ON the cusp of completing a preliminary round sweep, Creamline faces its biggest test in a well-rested PLDT side today while PetroGazz looks to solidify its No. 2 ranking in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

The 6:30 p.m. clash with the High Speed Hitters presents a real challenge for the Cool Smashers, who are expected to bring their level of play several notches higher to maintain their perfect run.
The streaking Angels seek to sustain their aggressiveness in the 4 p.m. duel with Galeries Tower.

Creamline remains on top of the standings with a 9-0 record, while PetroGazz is not far behind at 8-1 and is on a seven-match winning streak.

PLDT is sporting a 6-3 card and is eyeing to force a three-way tie with Cignal and Choco Mucho at 7-3 and more importantly remain in the top five to get a lower-ranked opponent in the qualification round.

While the Cool Smashers are tipped to prevail over the struggling Highrisers in their final prelims match on Feb. 20, coach Sherwin Meneses know that the High Speed Hitters will unveil some aces to end their juggernaut.

PLDT top scorer Savi Davison, who dropped 26 points against Farm Fresh on Feb. 4, and libero Kath Arado will be Creamline’s main concerns in the marquee showdown.

But as long as setter Kyle Negrito will continue to get the job done in distributing plays well for spikers Jema Galanza, Bernadeth Pons and Michele Gumabao, as well as middles Bea de Leon and Pangs Panaga, things will go smoothly for the Cool Smashers.

Kyla Atienza hopes to match up well with Arado in a battle of the league’s top defensive specialists.

Creamline and PetroGazz eye to end at least in the top two to have a shot of playing the bottom squads in the next phase, where six outright quarterfinals berths are at stake.

“The usual way we respond to high-pressure games because some of our losses happened at that level, so hopefully, we can apply that against any opponent. I guess it’s really just about trust and their belief that the team can do it,” said High Speed Hitters coach Rald Ricafort, on the key to beating the defending champions.

The Cool Smashers hope to learn the lessons of their 25-15, 25-19, 27-25 victory over the Foxies last Tuesday as they went through the wringer in the third set before Galanza took over down the stretch.

“This game against Farm Fresh was not good because we should have finished it convincingly, but at least we saw that when it gets close, we can still close it out. So hopefully, we can do the same against PLDT,” said Galanza.

Bannered by the 1-2 punch of Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo, the Angels are determined to continue their winning ways.

A win would be a huge boost to PetroGazz heading into its final prelims match against Nxled on Thursday.

For Galeries Tower, which is slightly ahead of last-placed squads Nxled and Capital1, it needs to set aside its frustrations to avoid ending up either at 11th or 12th place, with the last two matches against the league’s top two. With a 1-8 card, the Highrisers’ best possible finish is at No. 10.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado