Creamline gets the chance to get back at Reinforced Conference title tormentor PetroGazz, at least in the early going of the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Open Conference as they clash tonight (Saturday) in what promises to be an explosive matchup at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
Behind a pair of explosive imports, the Angels foiled the Cool Smashers’ title-retention drive in the recent first conference but the former would need to muster everything they could get down to the last player to stop the in-form defending champions in their 6 p.m. encounter.
Creamline somewhat erased the stigma of that final setback by sweeping their first four games in the all-Filipino tourney with the Cool Smashers raring not only to make it five-in-row but also get some semblance of payback against the Angels.
Unlike Creamline, PetroGazz had a rather shaky start this conference, dropping a four-setter to BanKo-Perlas before recovering to blast BaliPure in three last week.
But Jeanette Panaga, Jovielyn Prado, Paneng Mercado and Jonah Sabete must raise the level of their games and Cherry Nunag must check an early slump for the Angels to at least measure up with the Cool Smashers, who swept Air Force, Motolite and Chef’s Classic before repulsing BanKo-Perlas in four last Wednesday.
For one, multi-titled Alyssa Valdez has been dishing out explosive games, including a 26-point barrage against the Perlas Spikers with the former Atneeo star also drawing solid backup from the likes of Michele Gumabao, Risa Sato and Jema Galanza and ace playmaker Jia Morado anchoring the team’s superb offense.
Meanwhile, Choco Mucho and Chef’s Classic tangle in the 4 p.m. clash of the league’s newcomers with the Flying Titans shooting for their second win in three starts against the struggling Red Spikers, winless in two starts in the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.
A sister team of Creamline and made up of former Ateneo stalwarts, Choco Mucho is slightly favored to get past the San Beda-reinforced Chef’s Classic with Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino tipped to lead the Flying Titans’ charge again.