Top two volleyball clubs in Superliga collide in yet another championship duel

They have been the two best clubs in the Philippine Superliga and, as another championship unfolds, Petron and F2 Logistics are all set for yet another heavyweight showdown.

The Blaze Spikers and the Cargo Movers collide at 6 p.m. on Saturday as Game 1 of the All-Filipino Conference best-of-three championship series blasts off at Mall of Asia Arena.

It’s the fifth straight finals that Petron and F2 Logistics will face each other, underscoring the rise of their rivalry.

The two teams have seven titles between them.

At 4 p.m., Cignal and Generika-Ayala collide in the bronze-medal match.

Petron opened the conference with 10 consecutive victories in the preliminary round, before whipping Sta. Lucia and Cignal in the playoffs, to keep its hopes of sweeping the conference alive.

“We can’t think of the sweep right away; our mission is to win the title first and foremost,” said Petron coach Shaq delos Santos.

“If in the process of winning the title, we sweep all our games, then well and good.”

Three years ago, the franchise, made up of an entirely different core, won all its 14 matches to clinch the All-Filipino title.

This time, Petron will rely on heavyweights Mika Reyes, Aiza Pontillas, Ces Molina, Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons.

In Petron’s way is a solid crew culled from the country’s most successful college program of late headed by Ramil de Jesus, one of the best local volleyball coaches these days.

“We have to be realistic because F2 Logistics also has a solid lineup, a good coaching system and they have been playing together for a long time,” added Delos Santos, whose wards dominated the Cargo Movers in their first encounter, 22-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20.

F2’s core is forged from La Salle’s volleyball program, with the likes of Cha Cruz-Behag, Aby Maraño, Majoy Baron, Kim Kianna Dy and Kim Fajardo leading the charge.