CHOCO Mucho zeroes in on one of the hotly disputed semifinal berths as it faces winless Strong Group while Creamline aims to strengthen its own drive against Nxled in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City Saturday.
The Flying Titans and the PLDT High Speed Hitters pace the field with 7-1 records but both still need two more wins to secure their spots in the post-elims play, avoiding potential complications of point tiebreakers with four other teams also in hot pursuit of the coveted slots.
Creamline, Petro Gaz and Chery Tiggo are tied for third at 6-2, while Cignal, despite its loss to Chery Tiggo last Tuesday, remains in contention with a 5-3 mark.
Akari (4-5) and Nxled (3-5) still have a mathematical chance but must win all remaining matches and rely on unfavorable results for Creamline, Chery Tiggo and Petro Gazz to create playoff opportunities.
The PVL points system will come into play to break the ties and determine advancement.
Choco Mucho, bannered by the prolific Sisi Rondina, Isa Molde and Maddie Madayag, is expected to unleash its full potential against Strong Group, featuring Dolly Verzosa, Sheeka Espinosa and Mary Joy Onofre, in their 4 p.m. clash.
Similarly, Creamline, led by Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza, mixes it up with Nxled at 6 p.m.
Despite facing the defending champions, Nxled’s coach Taka Minowa is optimistic about his team’s chances, counting on players like Ivy Lacsina, Lycha Ebon, Chiara Permentiall, Camille Victore and Krich Macaslang.
Meanwhile, Farm Fresh and Galeries Tower, out of it all with identical 2-6 slates, clash for pride at 2 p.m.
Choco Mucho and Creamline’s matches also serve as crucial preparation for their highly anticipated face-off on April 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After dropping a five-set defeat to PLDT last March 19, Choco Mucho has regained its form, posting convincing victories over Akari, Galeries Tower and Capital1, making the Flying Titans the overwhelming favorites against the Athletics.
Games are aired live on free-to-air on One Sports, in HD on One Sports+, as well as on the PVL’s official website (pvl.ph) and the Pilipinas Live app. Global coverage includes the new free-to-air channel – RPTV.
Games Saturday (Philsports Arena)
2 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Farm Fresh
4 p.m. – Strong Group vs Choco Mucho
6 p.m. – Nxled vs Creamline