PetroGazz goes for back-to-back, Creamline seeks to reign again while Motolite is out to bounce back with a healthy roster. But the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Open Conference won’t be a three-team show when it opens shop on Sunday (Aug. 11) at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
Chef’s Classic and Choco Mucho can’t wait to prove its worth on their first foray in the country’s premier volley league with rosters that could ameasure up with the best in the fold while Air Force, fifth here last year, is back after skipping the Reinforced Conference topped by the Angels.
Still, PetroGazz will surely get the top seeding following its conquest of the powerhouse Creamline squad in the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision with PacificTown Army aiming for a higher finish after placing third in the Reinforced tilt.
BanKo Perlas and BaliPure also going all-out to redeem themselves after failing to contend for the crown recently while Motolite is raring to go with star player Myla Pablo tipped to fully recover from a lower back injury that hampered the team’s previous campaign in the league backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.
The Cool Smashers are also keen on keeping the crown they won via sweep over the Ateneo Lady Eagles on a team built around three-time conference MVP Alyssa Valdez and top setter Jia Morado and veterans Michele Gumabao, Risa Sato and Jema Galanza.
But the crowd favorites expect another bumpy road ahead of their title-retention drive.
The Angels, for one, hope to ride the momentum of their Reinforced Conference triumph with Jeanette Panaga and Cherry Nunag hoping to draw solid backup from Jonah Sabete, Paneng Mercado and playmaker Djanel Cheng for a crack at another championship.
The Lady Troopers will surely be banking on their experience to be provided by Jovelyn Gonzaga, Joanne Bunag, MJ Balse-Pabayo, Nene Bautista, Royse Tubino and Dahlia Cruz with support to come from Christine Agno, Angela Nunag and Sarah Jane Gonzales while the likes of power-hitters Nicole Tiamzon and Dzi Gervacio will anchor the Perlas Spikers’ title campaign.
Choco Mucho, Creamline’s sister team, will try to live up to its pre-conference hype with former Ateneo stars Kat Tolentino, Bea de Leon and Maddie Madayag spearheading their bid while the Viray sisters – Jeziela and Nieza – along with Justine Tiu, Justine Lapid and Aljan Pielago will carry the cudgels for the Chef Classics.
Format is a double round robin elims with the top four advancing to the crossover semis, a best-of-three series, with the winners disputing the crown in another best-of-three affair.