Creamline-Choco Mucho showdown headlines PVL All-Filipino opener

Creamline’s Tots Carlos tries to score against the defense of Choco Mucho’s Isa Molde and Bea De Leon during the PVL Reinforced Conference at Mall of Asia Arena. PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—This year’s Premier Volleyball League’s second All-Filipino Conference will open with a main event of two very familiar teams.

Sster teams Creamline and Choco Mucho will headline the conference opener of the PVL in a star-studded triple-header affair on October 15 at Araneta Coliseum.

The Cool Smashers and the Flying Titans look to renew their rivalry with different complications.

For one, Creamline will be playing without its star setter Jia De Guzman, who recently signed with the Denson Airybees in the Japan V.League not too long ago. 

Choco Mucho, meanwhile, has been all about improvement in the offseason as they competed in the  2023 VTV International Women’s Volleyball Cup a few months ago with the core of Sisi Rondina, Kat Tolentino, Maddie Madayag, Des Cheng, Isa Molde, Bea de Leon and Aduka Ogunsanya.

NxLED vs Gerlfor

Young squads Nxled and Gerflor, meanwhile, open the games at 3 pm. 

Nxled, one of the league’s two new teams, will compete against a relatively new team Gerflor, which made its debut in the Invitational Conference, with their core of Camille Kal, Lycha Ebon, Chiara Permentilla, Jhoana Maraguinot along with middles Camille Victoria and Krich Macasla.

Another sister team bout will take place on Sunday’s second game when league juggernauts PLDT and Cignal clash.

The HD Spikers will continue to have the services of veterans Rachel Daquis, Roselyn Doria, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Ces Molina but this time, they will have new blood in the form of Ateneo standout Vanie Gandler.

The High Speed Hitters will undoubtedly rely on star hitters Mika Reyes, Mean Mendrez and Julianne Samonte. One of their key players, Prado, will likely miss the game after suffering an ACL injury last July.

The format for the upcoming conference will follow a single round robin elimination with the top four squads advancing to the semifinals. The top and second seeds will take on the third and fourth-placed squad, respectively, in a best-of-three series. The winners will dispute the championship in a best-of-three playoff.