Nine playdates into the single round robin elims, one team is into the Final Four, another is a cinch to clinch the second semis berth, three are in the thick of the fight for the last two and three more still entertain hopes of making it through the backdoor.
At 0-4, Army’s chances hinge on a sweep of its last four games and hope that only one from the contenders for the last two semis slots would go over four wins to at least figure in the tiebreak for the last seat although it seems to be a remote possibility at this stage of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
Still, stranger things happen in the league marked by unpredictability and the All Saints Day break, including the games washed out by rains Saturday, has given all teams time to rest and plot their next offensive to fuel their respective semis bids in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
Choco Mucho will try to break off a tie with a resurgent F2 Logistics at 2-2 when action heats up on Thursday at the league’s home at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan as the Flying Titans battle the Akari Chargers at 5:30 p.m. with Cignal also out to snap a skid and improve its 1-2 card against Army at 2:30 p.m.
But focus will be on the explosive Nov. 5 playdate back at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna where first semifinalist Chery Tiggo stakes its unblemished run against an equally unbeaten Creamline in what many see as a preview of the championship.
The two powerhouse teams disputed the league’s inaugural pro title in bubble setup in Ilocos Norte last year with the Crossovers stunning the fancied Cool Smashers in an epic finale that went through the distance—three games and fifth set.
But while Creamline rebounded strongly this and swept the Open Conference and Invitationals to move a jewel away from completing a first grand slam, Chery Tiggo struggled due to health issues, ending up a dismal eighth in both conferences.
But with a healthy crew, led by Mylene Paat, EJ Laure and Cza Carandang, and a reliable import in Jelene Cvijovic, the Crossovers have lorded it over the field with victories over the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, the Cignal HD Spikers, the Akari Chargers, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans and the UAI-Army Troopers.
After Creamline, Chery Tiggo will take on Petro Gazz and PLDT.
The Cool Smashers, on the other hand, have also stamped their class despite drawing limited help from two-time MVP Tots Carlos, who is slowed down by back issues, the last few matches as Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Ced Domingo and playmaker Jia de Guzman and reinforcement Yeliz Basa continued to dish out big games.
But with Carlos expected to be back to her old form following a break, things are looking up for the crowd favorites, who have dispatched the PLDT High Speed Hitters, the Petro Gazz Angels, the Cignal HD Spikers and the Akari Chargers to move within a win from formalizing their Final Four stint.
The third-running defending champion Angels, meanwhile, are also bracing for a big weekend test against the High Speed Hitters, who like the Chargers, are hard-pressed to notch a key win with only a victory to show in its first four games.