Games Tuesday
4 p.m. – Nxled vs Creamline
6:30 p.m. – PLDT vs Cignal
Cignal and PLDT are set for a fierce showdown Tuesday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference preliminaries at the Philsports Arena, with both teams looking to secure crucial wins in their pursuit of a strong finish.
Cignal enters the match in second place with a 5-1 win-loss record but faces significant challenges. The HD Spikers are dealing with the absence of two key players, former captain Ces Molina and top middle blocker Riri Meneses.
Despite these setbacks, Cignal managed to sweep Galeries Tower in three sets last week. However, their depth will be tested in this match against the High Speed Hitters, who are eager to rebound from a loss to Choco Mucho.
“The good thing about the team is that even though I returned to training a bit late, while monitoring them through video on Zoom, their performance didn’t change.
Actually, they seem to enjoy it even more. They are really committed to fulfilling their obligations and goals,” said Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos.
PLDT, coming off a tough four-set loss to the Flying Titans, will rely on the offensive power of Savi Davison, who posted an explosive 27 points in the loss.
However, the High Speed Hitters will need more from their other key players, including Dell Palomata, Erika Santos, Fiola Ceballos, Mika Reyes, and Majoy Baron, to overcome Cignal’s resilient lineup.
Meanwhile, Creamline looks to extend its winning streak to six as they face winless Nxled in the 4 p.m. opener.
The Cool Smashers, aiming to tie Petro Gazz for the top spot in the standings with 17 points, are favored in this matchup. Despite their dominance throughout the tournament, including three shutout victories in their first five matches,
Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses is expected to experiment with new lineups while maintaining focus on their ultimate goal.
“We’re happy to have our key players back and healthy, and that’s really our number one goal this year—to have them return by the start of the elimination round so that their performance will improve by the end or middle of it,” Meneses said.
Nxled, still searching for its first win, will face an uphill battle against the defending champions. However, the Chameleons are hoping to stage a dramatic turnaround and deliver a strong performance.
The games will be broadcast live on Pilipinas Live, RPTV, One Sports, One Sports+, and pvl.ph, with the tournament supported by Arena Plus, Fabriano Appliances, Milcu, iColor & Argan Beauty, Tapa King, Sport Radar, and Mikasa.
