As the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference pool eliminations conclude today at Philsports Arena, PLDT, Creamline, and Chery Tiggo aim to solidify their top three positions in Pool A, while Farm Fresh looks to break into the elite circle.
The High Speed Hitters are determined to rebound from a tough five-set loss to the surging Crossovers last weekend, which snapped their three-game winning streak. They face a Farm Fresh team pushing for a straight-set victory and a potential spot in the top three.
With Creamline, PLDT, and Chery Tiggo each holding a 3-1 record, Farm Fresh targets a 3-2 finish with a win against PLDT in the 1 p.m. opener.
However, for the Foxies to force a tie for the top three, they need to win in three sets and hope Chery Tiggo loses to the winless Galeries Tower in their 5 p.m. encounter.
Both teams would then end up with 3-2 records and identical eight total points, with ties broken by points ratio.
The top three teams will play the bottom three in Pool B in the crossover round starting Saturday. Creamline and PLDT, with 10 and nine points respectively, are assured of top three spots even if they lose their matches, putting the spotlight on the clash between PLDT and Farm Fresh.
“PLDT is a very good team both on offense and defense, so we need to perfectly execute our Japanese system and focus more on our defense,” said Farm Fresh head coach Shota Sato through a translator.
The Foxies have fought back into contention with victories over the Hightowers (0-4) and the Nxled Chameleons (1-3).
Creamline aims to extend its winning streak to four after a five-set defeat to PLDT as it faces the struggling Nxled side at 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, Chery Tiggo is poised to secure a top-three spot as it takes on the winless Galeries Tower team at 5 p.m.
Despite the Hightowers’ current standing, they are capable of pulling off an upset, though the Crossovers remain confident after their morale-boosting five-set victory over the High Speed Hitters.
American import Khat Bell, who scored 39 points against PLDT, is expected to lead Chery Tiggo’s charge with support from Ara Galang, Pauline Gaston, Seth Rodriguez, Myle Paat, Shaya Adorador, and Mary Rhose Dapol.
The Highrisers continue their search for a win, relying on Thai reinforcement Sutadta Chuewulim and locals France Ronquillo, Ysa Jimenez, Graze Bombita, Andrea Marzan, Roselle Baliton, and Alyssa Eroa.
“Our win against PLDT gave us good momentum, and we hope to finish the first round in the top two of our pool,” said Chery Tiggo coach Kungfu Reyes.
Games today (Thursday)
1 p.m. – Farm Fresh vs PLDT
3 p.m. – Creamline vs Nxled
5 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Chery Tiggo
