Creamline and Chery Tiggo, eager to sustain their runs and bolster their confidence for the tougher challenges ahead, clash on Tuesday in what could be a preview of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Coaches of both sides face the dilemma of whether to rest key players or go all-out to secure a win and maintain a psychological edge, possibly meeting each other again in the Final Four – or in the finals – of the season-ending conference organized by Sports Vision.
Creamline, unbeaten in eight games, aims to continue their streak, while Chery Tiggo, with a seven-game run marked by thrilling five-set victories in its last two outings, seeks to carry its momentum to the post-elims play.
Gametime is at 6 p.m.
With Choco Mucho also in the Final Four, the battle for the last spot is being disputed by Cignal (7-3), Petro Gazz (6-4), and PLDT (5-4). But the HD Spikers have the inside track with the winless Gerflor Defenders as their final elims opponent on Dec. 5.
But a reversal could lead to a scramble with PLDT and Petro Gazz set to knock each other out, also on Dec. 5.
Despite their pristine record, Creamline skipper and multi-titled Alyssa Valdez stressed the need for hard work, acknowledging areas for improvement: “Madami pa ring lapses and we have to work harder on our training.”
But Michele Gumabao’s consistent performance coupled with those of Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza have kept the Cool Smashers on top of the heap with Valdez also providing leadership during crucial moments.
Chery Tiggo deputy coach Kungfu Reyes, on the other hand, has emphasized building the team’s character and a never-say-die attitude, crucial attributes for the upcoming pressure-packed semis.
“’Yung character namin and bini-buildup namin, yung never-say-die attitude,” said Reyes, whose solid crew is made up of Mylene Paat, Eya Laure, EJ Laure, Cza Carandang, Ces Robles and Pauline Gaston. “It’s always a collective effort.”
Meanwhile, Choco Mucho won’t need to count on its main players as the Flying Titans take on the Defenders at 4 p.m.
Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsurunin, meanwhile, has shown complete trust in his players, allowing them to stage comebacks without timeouts during their recent matches.
“Sobrang tiwala ako sa lahat ng players ko kaya kahit down kami, never akong nag-time out o i-pressure cila para masabi ko kung ano naging problema,” said Alinsunurin.
It worked as the Flying Titans fought back from 1-2 set down to edge the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in the same five-set fashion they toppled the Cignal HD Spikers last Nov. 21.
Meanwhile, Farm Fresh and Galeries usher in the triple-bill as they collide at 2 p.m. in a duel of ousted teams with the Foxies looking to nail their second win in 10 games and the Highrisers going all-out to score the elusive victories after eight losses in the tournament backed by Mikasa, BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, SMART, Rebisco, Milcu, Kumu, Asics and SportRadar.
Matches can be streamed on Pilipinas Live and PVL.ph and are telecast on One Sports, One Sports+, and SMART Livestream app.
