Cherry Tiggo Crossovers’ Alina Bicar in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The chase for semifinal berths in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference starts going down the wire on Thursday when Chery Tiggo and Cignal clash in a match that has all implications of a playoff berth at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Tied for fifth at 5-2, just half-a-game behind the joint third placers, the Crossovers and the HD Spikers slug it out in the 6 p.m. game with the loser to be pushed hard against the wall heading into the homestretch of the single-round elimination.
SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024
Idle Choco Mucho and PLDT are setting the pace with 7-1 records, while Creamline, the defending champion, and Petro Gazz will be joined by the winner of the featured game at 6-2.
The loser drops to 5-3 and would need a sweep of its remaining three matches to stay in the hunt.
With momentum
Chery Tiggo will be coming off a three-game winning streak that includes victories over heavyweights the Cool Smashers and the Angels, and all indication point to them having some sort of momentum as the HD Spikers have played their last three games at 1-2 with losses to Choco Mucho and Creamline.
This game will test how versatile the Crossovers have become ever since that massive facelift in the offseason when they brought in Aby Maraño and Ara Galang from disbanded F2 Logistics.
Eya Laure, though, remains to be the lifeblood of Chery Tiggo.
The HD Spikers, meanwhile, will rely on old hands Mylene Paat and Ces Molina and the prolific Vanie Gandler.
In the 4 p.m. game, Akari tries to fan its wafer-thin playoff hopes when it battles hapless Capital1.