F2 Logistics steps up its quarterfinal drive against a surprisingly tough Cignal HD today (Sunday) even as embattled Chery Tiggo tries to stave off early elimination against a fired-up Choco Mucho side in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Paco Arena in Manila.
The one-day break should have given the nine competing teams enough time to re-energize for the grueling five-day daily grind in a spirited race to the quarters although the four teams in Group B are assured of their stint-based on the novel two-pool format.
That makes the fight for the last berth in the five-team Group A doubly exciting with Chery Tiggo and Army, reeling from two losses apiece, bracing for their virtual knockout duel for the coveted berth on Tuesday.
Chery Tiggo, sorely missing the services of top scorer Jaja Santiago, who is playing in the Japan league, seeks to break its slump against Choco Mucho in the 6 p.m. main game.
Meanwhile, the Cargo Movers set out for a third straight win against the HD Spikers, who pulled off a four-set reversal over the Crossovers in Wednesday’s inaugurals of the second pro season of the league organized by Sports Vision.
F2 coach Benson Bocboc expects a tougher outing against the HD Spikers, describing their rivals in the 3 p.m. match as “confident with fresh players,” who delivered in the clutch to stun the defending champions the first time out.
But he believes his wards will get better coming off back-to-back wins over Army and Chery Tiggo while underscoring the need for them to work harder to reach peak form and fuel their title run.
“Like in our first game (against Army), we have very little time to adjust. And we need to polish our passing, spiking, and blocking. We need to work as a team,” said Bocboc, who also credited his bench players for their contribution in their early two-game roll.
They include playmaker Kim Fajardo, who came out of a two-year layoff due to knee injury and provided 11 excellent sets, and finished with two points.
But Cignal is ready to challenge the fancied F2 side on a team built around Ces Moline, Rachel Ann Daquis, Angeli Araneta, Ria Meneses, and Angelica Cayuna, who combined for 58 hits to get past the Crossovers in four.
