Cool Smashers go for Pool A sweep, test Chargers

Games Saturday
(PhilSports Arena)

9:30 a.m. – Foton vs Farm Fresh
12 p.m. – PLDT vs Gerflor
4 p.m. – Akari vs Creamline
6:30 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Choco Mucho

 MANILA, Philippines – Creamline eyes a Pool A sweep as it clashes with Akari even as Pool B’s Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho jostle for semifinal position as they face off Saturday in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the PhilSports Arena.

Fresh from a semifinal berth-sealing 25-21, 25-20, 25-21 win over the PLDT High Speed Hitters a couple of days back, the Cool Smashers seek for win No. 4 against the Chargers (0-2) in their 4 p.m. duel, along with much-needed momentum and confidence going into the six-team semis.

There, the proud franchise will carry with them a long tradition of historic 11 straight podium finishes in an impressive span when it collected six titles, two runner up finishes and three third-place efforts.

But for a 12th hardware to come by, Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said they needed to improve on some skills that need polishing.

“Knowing Creamline, maganda efficiency sa attack kaya double time na lang kami sa basic na receive and block,” said Meneses.

Regardless of the result of its final group stage game, Creamline should be assured of going into the semis with a 1-0 record as it has beaten PLDT (1-1) and (2-1) Chery Tiggo, two teams likely to fight it out for the second and last semis seat from their bracket.

The Invitational is implementing a novel semis format that draws the top two squads from each of the two groups and the two guest teams—Japan’s Kurashiki Ablaze and Vietnam’s Kinh Bac-Bach Ninh.

The foreign clubs will play five games each while local semis entrants plays only four since the latter will carry over their result against the team they face in their own group in the elimination.

In Pool B action, Petro Gazz looks to ride the crest of its epic 20-25, 25-22, 25-12, 33-35, 15-9 win over F2 Logistics Tuesday that created a three-team logjam at No. 1 with the latter and Cignal on 3-1 records, as it tangles with Choco Mucho (2-1) at 6:30 p.m.

Grethcel Soltones will be the player to watch for the Angels while Sisi Rondina should be the woman of the hour for the Flying Titans as the stars came from strong games with the former unleashing 31 points and the latter dropping a 28-hit rampage.

“All I want is for my team to go into the next round, the semis,” said the former league and NCAA MVP.

Also lined up in the heavy quadruple-game offering were games pitting PLDT with Gerflor at 12 p.m. and Foton versus Farm Fresh at 9:30 a.m.