Japan, Vietnam squads join PVL conference as guest teams

Games Tuesday 
(PhilSports Arena)

9:30 a.m. – Petro Gazz vs Farm Fresh
12 p.m. – Cignal vs Foton
4 p.m. – Akari vs Chery Tiggo
6:30 p.m. – Choco Mucho vs F2

MANILA, Philippines – The Kurashiki Ablaze of Japan and the Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh of Vietnam will complete in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference cast as guest squads.

The Japanese side topped the 12th national volleyball league as well as the 13th national six-man meet and finished third in the 13th national league grand champion match back home. The team should pose a big challenge to the Creamline Cool Smashers’ title defense.

The Vietnamese, for their part, should also contend as they ruled the 2018 national championships and took bronze in the next two years in Vietnam.

The foreign clubs will play straight in the semifinals where they will be joined by the top two teams from each bracket and play in a single-round robin format where the top two face off in the one-game finale.

The league has given way to the ongoing Volleyball Nations League at the Mall of Asia Arena and will resume Tuesday with a heavy four-game bill highlighted by the intriguing showdown between Group B leaders Choco Mucho and F2 Logistics at 6:30 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena.

It will be one of the four to be played that day as the other scheduled will pit Petro Gazz against Farm Fresh at 9:30 a.m., Cignal versus Foton at 12 p.m. and Akari against Chery Tiggo at 4 p.m.