The spotlight turns to the Pool B teams today on Day 2 of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig, promising matches that are expected to deliver as much thrill and excitement as their Pool A counterparts.
Day 1 featured two matches that went the distance and a dominant display by a title-contending team in Pool A, setting a high bar for the mid-season conference organized by Sports Vision.
PLDT staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Creamline, while Nxled overcame a determined Galeries Tower squad in a pair of five-setters. Although Chery Tiggo swept Farm Fresh, the Foxies showed potential despite missing their top rookie pick, Maicah Larroza.
The Crossovers also had their share of absentees, with Eya Laure and Jen Nierva unavailable due to Alas Pilipinas commitment. However, reinforcement Khat Bell shone brightly, leading the team with an explosive 23-point performance.
Today’s matches promise to be just as explosive as Petro Gazz faces ZUS Coffee at 2 p.m., Akari battles Capital1 at 4 p.m., and the main event will see Choco Mucho clash with Cignal at 6 p.m.
The Angels, the winners of this tournament in 2022 with import Lindsey Vander Weide, will feature the returning Wilma Salas, who led the team alongside the late Janisa Johnson to the 2019 Reinforced championship.
She will join the squad’s core made up of reigning MVP and Fil-Am Brooke Van Sickle, Aiza Pontillas, MJ Phillips and Djanel Cheng.
On the other hand, the Thunderbelles seek to make a strong impression in their debut game in the country’s first and only professional volleyball league with former guest team Kurashiki Ablaze star Asaka Tamaru anchoring their campaign.
ZUS, however, will have to wait for the debut of the league’s first-ever top overall pick, Thea Gagate, who is currently training with Alas Pilipinas.
This puts the focus on the second overall pick, Leila Cruz, who will make her debut for the Solar Spikers against the Chargers.
Cruz, an opposite hitter coming off an ACL injury, will team up with Russian spiker Marina Tushova as they aim to give the Solar Spikers a winning start.
Meanwhile, the Chargers, who acquired Ivy Lacsina during the break, also hope to unleash a strong start behind American import Oluoma Okaro.
A down-to-the-wire battle is expected between Cignal and Choco Mucho in the absence of their national team representatives. The HD Spikers, missing Dawn Macandili, Vanie Gandler and Jovelyn Gonzaga, remain a formidable team with Venezuelan reinforcement MJ Perez, alongside Ces Molina, Riri Meneses, and Gel Cayuna.
The Flying Titans, on the other hand, expect a solid performance from Greek import Zoi Faki, offseason acquisition Dindin Manabat, and holdovers Royse Tubino, Isa Molde, and Maddie Madayag as they try to overcome the absence of Alas members Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag.
