This is one sister team clash far from friendly or warm-hearted, as Cignal and PLDT gear up for an intense and fierce battle to secure a crucial victory in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference preliminaries at the Philsports Arena on Tuesday.
Currently sitting in second place with a 5-1 win-loss record, the HD Spikers face a dual challenge: taking on a PLDT side eager to rebound from its four-set loss to the Choco Mucho Flying Titans last week and overcoming their own roster setbacks following the unexpected departure of two key players.
Despite without former captain Ces Molina and top middle blocker Riri Meneses, Cignal managed to sweep Galeries Tower in three sets last week. However, their depleted bench will be severely tested against the High Speed Hitters in the main event at 6:30 p.m.
"The good thing about the team is that even though I returned to training a bit late, while monitoring them through video on Zoom, their performance didn’t change. Actually, they seem to enjoy it even more. They are really committed to fulfilling their obligations and goals,” said Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos in Filipino.
The High Speed Hitters, on the other hand, aim to capitalize on their personnel advantage. Savi Davison remains a formidable force after her explosive 27-point outing against the Flying Titans. However, lack of offensive support – no other teammate reached double digits – proved costly in that match, despite winning the first set.
To turn the tide, the likes of Dell Palomata, Erika Santos, Fiola Ceballos, Mika Reyes and Majoy Baron will need to elevate their performance and overpower the resilient HD Spikers, now relying on the likes of Vanie Gandler, Jacqueline Acuña, Roselyn Doria-Aquino, Ishie Lalongisip and Judith Abil.
Meanwhile, Creamline looks to extend its winning streak to six as it takes on winless Nxled in the 4 p.m. opener. This matchup is expected to be a straightforward assignment for the Cool Smashers, who aim to tie the Petro Gazz Angels at the top of the 12-team standings with 17 points in this record-setting conference organized by Sports Vision and backed by Watsons.
While not underestimating Nxled, Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses is likely to experiment with new lineups as the Chameleons continue their quest for a breakthrough victory. Nxled’s recent loss – a four-set defeat to sister team Akari Chargers – further emphasizes the uphill battle they face against the defending champions.
“Of course, this win (against Capital1) is a big help, especially for our next game. Especially now that our key players are back and healthy, 100 percent, that's really our number one goal this year—to have them return by the start of the elimination round so that by the end or middle of it, their performance will really improve,” said Meneses in Filipino.
Creamline’s dominance has been on full display throughout the tournament, highlighted by three commanding shutout victories in their first five matches. With the return of Tots Carlos to the roster, the crowd favorites are expected to face minimal resistance – unless the Chameleons can stage a dramatic turnaround and deliver an inspired performance in the tournament supported by Arena Plus, Fabriano Appliances, Milcu, iColor & Argan Beauty, Tapa King, Sport Radar, and Mikasa.Games are telecast live on Pilipinas Live, RPTV, One Sports, One Sports+, and pvl.ph.
