Cargo Movers, Blaze Spikers clash for Superliga top spot

F2 Logistics and Petron, which represent possibly the fiercest rivalry in local volleyball, clash for the second time in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference eliminations with No. 1 ranking on the line on Thursday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The first serve is at 4:15 p.m. with the Cargo Movers given the slight edge over the team that has been lording it over this conference for the past two years.

Meanwhile, Generika-Ayala shoots for solo third spot when it tangles with PLDT Home Fibr in the 7 p.m. game.

The Cargo Movers have gone undefeated in 11 games here, the prize for signing Filipino-American Kalei Mau.

The Blaze Spikers, for their part, won 10 of their first 11 matches with their only setback coming at the hands of the Cargo Movers.

And that makes for a very interesting sidelight as F2 will try to maintain mastery of Petron, while the Blaze Spikers try to avenge that loss.

But Petron coach Shaq delos Santos toned down the hype.

“We’re excited to play against them and it’s going to be an exciting match for sure,” said Delos Santos, whose wards dethroned the Cargo Movers in 2017. “But like any other game, everything starts in practice. We need to have good preparation to have a better performance.”

F2 Logistics head coach Ramil de Jesus agreed, saying that their game doesn’t mean a thing because their ultimate goal is to regain the title.

“If they will come to the game prepared, so are we,” said De Jesus, a proud owner of 11 UAAP titles.

“But it won’t end after Thursday’s game. We still have a long way to go. The result of our game against Petron won’t determine the champion of the All-Filipino Conference.”