SEMIS hopefuls Chery Tiggo and Choco Mucho chase crucial victories against rivals stepping up their push for pivotal victories as the Final Four race heats up in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig today, Tuesday.
In joint second with 6-1 (win-loss) records, the Crossovers and the Flying Titans seek to move closer to the next phase while trying to build cushion against the strong challenge posed by at least five teams still vying for the semis hunt in the remaining two weeks of the grueling eliminations.
Chery Tiggo, after a 10-day hiatus, aims to shake off rust as it clashes with solo fourth-placed Cignal (6-2) at 4 p.m. in a match vital for both teams in strong contention for seats in the playoffs of the season-ending conference organized by Sports Vision.
Both squads go into the game on the back of successful streaks, with the Crossovers routing the PLDT High Speed Hitters in four sets last Nov. 11 to cap a four-game run and the HD Spikers annexing a similar four-set triumph over an embattled F2 Logistics side that stretched their roll to five.
It will be a duel of adjustments, with Chery Tiggo coach Aaron Velez boasting a deep bench featuring key players, including the Laure sisters, Eya and EJ, the seasoned Mylene Paat, middle Cza Carandang and the vastly-improved pair of Pauline Gaston and Cess Robles.
Playmaker Jasmine Nabor is likewise expected to elevate her performance while defensive stalwarts Buding Duremdes and Jennifer Nierva are prepared to counter the attacks from the likes of Ces Molina and Jovelyn Gonzaga and the emerging star in Vanie Gandler, who normed 18 points in their last two games against the Petro Gazz Angels and the F2 Cargo Movers.
The clash will also showcase a showdown of setters with Cignal’s Gel Cayuna, one of the league’s top playmakers, leading the charge. Coach Shaq delos Santos also has a formidable supporting cast in Roselyn Doria, Riri Meneses, Chin Basas, Chay Troncoso and Gen Casugod.
