Streaking BanKo-Perlas and resurgent Iriga-Navy square off today while Pocari-Air Force and BaliPure try to bounce back from setbacks in a pair of matches that could clear or muddle up the race to the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today (Wednesday).
The Perlas Spikers swept their first two games in the single round quarters among six teams, including a surprise three-set romp over the defending champion Pocari-Air Force Lady Warriors last weekend. They head to their 6 p.m. duel with the Lady Oragons as the heavy favorites with imports Kia Bright and Jutarat Montripila and the rest of the local crew expected to cash in on their advantage in bench depth and experience in an attempt to assure themselves of at least a playoff for one of the last two semifinal berths.
But the Oragons are fresh from their five-set triumph over a luckless Tacloban side, also last Saturday that snapped an eight-game skid dating back to the elims although reinforcements Lauren White and Macy Ubben and the locals will have to double their effort if they are to surprise a fired-up BanKo-Perlas side.
Expect a fiercer, highly charged duel in the 4 p.m. encounter between Pocari and BaliPure, whose respective semis drives got stymied by straight-set setbacks the last time out. While the Lady Warriors dropped to joint second with the PetroGazz Angels at 2-1, the Water Defenders slipped to fourth at 1-1 following a 23-25, 18-25, 14-25 defeat to the Angels.
Meanwhile, Air Force guns for a second straight win and a share of the lead with idle PLDT as it tangles with Instituto Estetico Manila (0-1) at 1 p.m. in the lone match in the men’s side of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.
Madeline Palmer is expected to rebound from a mediocre nine-point output against BanKo-Perlas and provide the needed backup to fellow import Arielle Love and a stellar local crew led by Myla Pablo, Jeanette Panaga, Iari Yongco, Wendy Semana, Del Palomata and Angel Antipuesto against the young BaliPure side made up for National U high schoolers Joyme Cagande, Faith Nisperos, Mhicaela Belen, Princess Robles and Alyssa Solomon.
But the Water Defenders boasts of one of the league’s power-hitting imports in Janisa Johnson although she needs to draw a solid outing from Alexis Matthews, who was held to a six-point game by the Angels.
The women’s matches will be aired live on ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel 23, ABS-CBN S+A HD Channel 166, LIGA on SkyCable Channel 86, LIGA HD on SkyCable Channel 183 and via streaming while the men’s games can be viewed via streaming.