RC, Petron try to seal Superliga finals cast

RC COLA-Army and Petron attempt to complete the final round roster when they go against beleaguered teams Foton and Cignal today in the PLDT Home Ultera Philippine Superliga Invitational Cup women’s volleyball at Imus Sports Complex.

The Lady Troopers will meet the Toplander, while the Tri-Activ Spikers face the HD Spikers in the Cavite matches that start at 4 p.m.

A win by RC Cola-Army and Petron would enable them to join F2 Logistics in the final round where they will be joined by Bangkok Glass, the reigning champion of the prestigious Volleyball Thailand League.

“It’s going to be difficult because we can no longer afford to lose a match,” admitted Cignal coach Sammy Acaylar.

Acaylar said his players tend to step up when their backs are against the wall. The HD Spikers are coming from a four-set loss to the Cargo Movers last weekend in Batangas City.

Foton, which won the Grand Prix last year, is also on the brink of elimination and is hard-pressed to exact revenge on RC Cola-Army, its conqueror in the inaugurals.

Foton coach Vilet Ponce-De Leon rued their lack of consistency despite new acquisitions like veterans Maika Ortiz, Rhea Dimaculangan and Angeli Tabaquero.

“We gained experience which we could use against other veteran teams like RC Cola-Army,” said De Leon, whose team is missing top players like Jaja Santiago and Ivy Perez, both playing their last season for National University in the UAAP.