Sports Briefs: Nov. 16, 2018

Race heats up for PVL semifinal berths

The chase for the last semifinal berth winds down to three teams entering the final week of the double-round elimination of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference. PetroGazz, Pocari-Air Force and Tacloban all have shots at a Final Four berth and are expected to give their all to keep their title hopes alive. Though the Angels have the inside track owing to their 6-5 slate, the Lady Warriors and the Fighting Warays, who are tied at 5-7, are within mathematical distance and will gun for a sweep of their remaining games to keep in contention. PetroGazz, meanwhile, has three games left in its schedule, two against semifinalists Ateneo and Creamline and the other versus Adamson-Akari. All the Angels need to do is win one of those three to put a foot inside the semifinals. The Angels, who will be bannered by Steph Mercado, are expected to find the going tough against Ateneo and Creamline, who have been streaking of late.

Celebs add luster to BGC bike race

Jake Cuenca, a regular triathlon campaigner, and fellow artists Enchong Dee and Iñigo Pascual take time out from their hectic schedules to lead the Sun Life Cycle PH at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Saturday. SunPiology founder Piolo Pascual and triathlete Matteo Guidicelli, along with Yong Muhajil, Janus del Prado, Sarah Carlos, Kisses Delavin, Ysabel Ortega and Tommy Esguerra are also seeing action in the noncompetitive event put up by Sunrise Events, Inc. to promote a healthy lifestyle through cycling. The 40-kilometer ride has lured over 600 riders while the 20km and kids categories have drawn 392 and 100 participants, respectively. Gun start for the 40km ride is at 6 a.m. to be followed by the 20km ride at 6:20 a.m. and the kids ride at 8:30 a.m.