CREAMLINE and Choco Mucho clash as the sister teams open hostilities in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals at the Philsports Arena today.

The Cool Smashers may have dominated the Flying Titans, 25-17, 25-22, 25-19, last April 18 in a match that kept their championship-retention game going.

But in the 4 p.m. contest, expect Choco Mucho, which ranked second in the preliminaries, to show up with a lot of fire against Creamline especially that the stakes are much higher in the single-round semis.

PetroGazz and Chery Tiggo, two of the hottest teams in the conference, collide in the day’s other match at 6 p.m.

The Angels have won five in a row right after losing to the Crossovers, 21-25, 25-18, 25-22, 19-25, 13-15 last March 21.

Chery Tiggo is on a seven-game winning streak right after bowing to Farm Fresh last March 16.

In the short semifinal phase, statistics and past results, though, won’t matter.

For composure will be key as both matches are expected to be nail-biters, with every point crucial in the single-round semifinal phase. Teams have fine-tuned their offense and defense during the weekend break and strengthened communication.

Coaches are likely to introduce surprise to disrupt opponents’ strategies, relying on their starting units for a strong start while utilizing their bench to keep their starters fresh in prolonged battles.

In their respective buildup to the semis, each team’s strategies and sentiments revealed a mix of determination and focus.

Koji Tsuzurabara, the Japanese coach of the top-ranked Angels, emphasized a game-by-game approach, urging his team to concentrate solely on the task at hand, ignoring the distractions of rankings.

“I’m not thinking about the rankings, just one game (at a time). We need to concentrate,” Tsuzurabara said.

Choco Mucho mentor Dante Alinsunurin, on the other hand, pinpointed service as a critical area for improvement, acknowledging its impact on their recent performances.

“Ilang games na na talagang mababa porsyento naming (sa service). Dun kami nag-focused sa training,” said Alinsunurin.

Despite finishing fourth in the prelims with a 8-3 slate, the Cool Smashers remain a strong contender for a third straight All-Filipino title.

Creamline beat PLDT via the points tiebreak to reach the Final Four.

The continued absence of key player Kat Tolentino due to an auditory condition continues to pose a challenge for the Flying Titans, but Alinsunurin remains optimistic about their team’s performance led by reigning MVP Sisi Rondina.

PetroGazz, fueled by players like Brooke Van Sickle, Jonah Sabete and MJ Phillips, who finally suited in the elimination round finale Saturday, seeks to claim the elusive All-Filipino crown after winning two Reinforced Conference trophies.

Chery Tiggo, spearheaded by Eya Laure, hopes to do well even without Mylene Paat, who is currently in South Korea to participate in the KOVO draft combine in a hope to have another shot of playing overseas.

“Sa semis, automatic mas mataas yung competitiveness. Lahat ng team, lahat gustong pumasok definitely. Pero kailangan kung sinong pinaka-healthy, yan ang malaki ang chance,” said Crossovers coach Kungfu Reyes.

“Kami mga coaches, ready kami. All we need to do is execute every training, adjustment after adjustment,” he added.

With the top two teams advancing to a best-of-three title series starting May 9 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the stakes are high as teams vie for supremacy in this week’s riveting matches.