Petron eyes to extend streak in Superliga

Games Saturday:

(Muntinlupa Sports Complex)

2 p.m. – Mane 'N Tail vs Petron (W)

4 p.m. – Generika vs RC Cola-Air Force (W)

6 p.m. – Cignal vs Cavite (M)

MANILA, Philippines – Petron tightens its grip on the leadership while Generika tries to sustain its amazing streak when the 2014 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix presented by Asics rolls to Muntinlupa Sports Complex Saturday.

With the comely pair of Alaina Bergsma and Erica Adachi back in deadly form, the Blaze Spikers clash with Mane 'N Tail at 2 pm while the Life Savers tackle RC Cola-Air Force at 4 pm in the women's division of this prestigious inter-club tournament organized by Sports Core with Air 21, My Phone, Via Mare, Mikasa, Mueller Sports Medicine, Healthway Medical, Generika Drugstore, LGR and Jinling Sports as technical partners.

In the men's side, second seed Cignal takes on third seed Cavite at 6 pm for a chance to advance to the finals of this tournament which also has Solar Sports as official broadcast partner.

Probably the league's most dangerous tandem, Bergsma and Adachi were impressive in their previous 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-15 win over Foton that gave the Blaze Spikers their seventh win in eight games.

With that, Petron further strengthened its lead, leaving Generika (5-3), RC Cola-Air Force (5-4) and Cignal (4-5) slugging it out for the three remaining slots in the semifinal round where the top seed will battle the fourth seed and the second seed will face the third.

"But still, we have to be careful because other teams will definitely go for an upset," said Petron coach George Pascua, who drew 26 points from Bergsma and 52 excellent sets from Adachi in their previous game. "That's why our win over Foton was very important because it somehow restored the morale of the girls after our loss to RC Cola."

Also expected to catch attention is the battle between the Life Savers and the Raiders.

After starting out slow, Generika raced to a five-game winning streak to claim the second spot. In its previous 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 22-25, 15-9 win over Cignal, the Life Savers displayed tremendous poise and composure down the stretch, sending a strong statement that they are ready to battle for the crown.

"Although we still have some inconsistencies, but I already like what I'm seeing right now," said Generika coach Ramil de Jesus. "The communication and chemistry of the girls have improved. I think it's safe to say that we are peaking right now."

Natalia Kurobkova, Generika's gem of an import, has been its main source of strenght of while the local crew of Aby Marano, Stephanie Mercado and Cha Cruz provide the intensity, energy and defensive muscle that keeps it afloat.

They will be stacked against the powerful troika of Emily Brown, Maika Ortiz and Judy Caballejo with Rhea Dimaculangan and Iari Yongco supplying the floor defense for the Raiders, who suffered a sorry 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 16-25, 14-16 setback to Cignal late Thursday.