Vanessa Gandler (No. 5) of Cignal tries to score against Andrea Marzan (No. 14) and Ysabel Jimenez (No. 3) of Galeries Tower in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Feb. 27, 2025. The HD Spikers lost, 17-25, 22-25, 25-19, 19-25. (PVL photo)
The battle for the last two quarterfinal berths in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference heats up as six teams enter the play-in tournament, kicking off Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
In Pool A, the Cignal HD Spikers take on the Capital1 Solar Spikers at 6:30 p.m., with the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles also in the mix. Meanwhile, Pool B action begins at 4 p.m. as the Chery Tiggo Crossovers face the Nxled Chameleons alongside the Farm Fresh Foxies in the group.
Both pools will follow a single round-robin format. The top teams will advance to the quarterfinals, where Creamline, Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, PLDT, Akari, and Galeries Tower await.
Cignal seeks redemption
Despite finishing third in the preliminary round, Cignal missed an automatic quarterfinal spot after a shocking 17-25, 22-25, 25-19, 19-25 loss to No. 10 seed Galeries Tower in the qualifiers on February 27.
The HD Spikers will lean on Vanie Gandler, Jackie Acuña, and rookie Ishie Lalongisip to get past the Solar Spikers. On the other side, Jorelle Singh, Heather Guino-o, Leila Cruz, Norielle Ipac, Patty Orendain, Rovena Instrella, Trisha Genesis, Sydney Niego, Des Clemente-De Guzman, and playmaker Iris Tolenada will lead Capital1’s charge. In their qualifier match, the Solar Spikers fell short against No. 2 Petro Gazz (19-25, 23-25, 21-25).
Chery Tiggo, Nxled eye quarterfinal spots
The Chery Tiggo Crossovers will bank on a veteran core led by Ara Galang, Cess Robles, Aby Maraño, Seth Rodriguez, Pauline Gaston, Shaya Adorador, and setter Jasmine Nabor as they face the Nxled Chameleons.
Nxled, on the other hand, will counter with a formidable lineup of Chiara Permentilla, EJ Laure, Lycha Ebon, Krich Macaslang, May Luna-Lumahan, Jaycel delos Reyes, Jaila Atienza, and Lucille Almonte.
Quarterfinal matchups set
The winner of Pool A will challenge Petro Gazz, while the Pool B leader will face powerhouse Creamline in a best-of-three quarterfinal series.
Meanwhile, the other quarterfinal pairings are already locked in:
- Akari vs. Galeries Tower
- Choco Mucho vs. PLDT
With everything at stake, expect an intense battle as these teams fight for a chance to continue their championship quest.