Creamline expects to roll past newcomer Gerflor after sweeping a retooled Chery Tiggo side the other night as the Cool Smashers try to make it back-to-back in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference eliminations at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan today (Thursday).
With a system that netted them six championships, the defending champions believe they can withstand any challenge—both from old and new—as they set out against the Defenders in the 1:30 p.m. opener of another triple-bill in the mid-season offering of the league organized by Sports Vision.
“Actually, yung system namin continuous lang talaga. Talagang mina-master lang namin yung galaw namin kahit sino yung kalaban. Siempre, number one na iintindihin namin yung team namin,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses.
“Pag maganda yung ginagalaw sa ensayo, kahit sino naman yung kaharap lalaban yung team. Kung manalo, eh di mas maganda. Yun lang sinasabi ko sa training—improve every day,” added Meneses, whose wards are tipped to clinch one of the top two spots in Group A after beating the Crossovers, 25-22, 25-22, 25-17.
The Defenders, however, are ready and eager to spring a surprise behind a mix of veteran and rookie campaigners, headed by setters Fhen Emnas and Ivy Perez, former HD Spikers players Ranya Musa and Rap Aguilar, Mina Aganon and Janine Navarro and first-timers Alyssa Bertolano and Ethan Arce.
Edgar Barroga is the man at the helm of one of the three newcomers in the league backed by BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, Mikasa, SMART, Rebisco, Kumu, Asics and SportRadar.
Creamline’s sister Choco Mucho, meanwhile, kicks off its campaign in the short two-group elims phase featuring a record 11-team field as the Flying Titans, backstopped by former UAAP MVP Sisi Rondina, face the Farm Fresh Foxies at 4 p.m.
The Foxies dropped their opening day match to the fancied F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, 22-25, 20-25, 23-25, last Tuesday but made quite an impression with their quickness and net defense.
The Flying Titans, however, hope to use their experience and ceiling to post the win and build some momentum needed in such a cutthroat stage where the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinal round.
Group A is made up for Creamline, Chery Tiggo, PLDT, Akari and Gerflor, while F2 Logistics, Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Farm Fresh and Foton compose Group B.
Games are telecast live on One Sports and on pvl.ph with streaming available on Smart Livestream and Cignal Play.
The Angels, on the other hand, try to rebound from their four-set loss to the Cignal HD Spikers as the tangle with the Foton Tornadoes at 6:30 p.m.
Games Thursday
1:30 p.m. – Creamline vs Gerflor
4 p.m. – Choco Mucho vs Farm Fresh
6:30 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Foton