Cignal collides with Creamline in PVL race to All-Filipino finals

Games on Tuesday
(MOA Arena)
4 p.m. – Farm Fresh vs PLDT
6:30 p.m. – Cignal vs Creamline

CIGNAL and Creamline try to ride the crest of their crucial semifinal victories and get ahead in the ultra-competitive race to the finals as they collide on Tuesday in the PVL All-Filipino Conference at the MOA Arena.

The Super Spikers and the Cool Smashers both jumpstarted their bids with victories over the Farm Fresh Foxies, 23-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-12, and the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 22-25, 27-25, 19-25, 28-26, 15-10, respectively, on Saturday at the same Pasay venue.

They face off at 6:30 p.m. with the winner sealing at least a playoff for a finals seat while inching closer to the best-of-three finale unfurling on April 21 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Manny V. Pangilinan franchise is expected to rely anew on the high-scoring pair of Erika Santos and Vanie Gandler in sealing the club’s third finals appearance and a shot at a breakthrough crown.

“We see all our semifinal matches as must-win games,” said Ms. Santos, who unloaded 21 points last time out.

For Creamline, a 10-time league champion, it is shooting for a return trip to the finals since last making it two years ago.

Bernadeth Pons, who spewed 28 points including crucial ones in the last two sets, vowed to go all out on this one.

“We promise to give our best in the next game,” she said.

Meanwhile, PLDT and Farm Fresh aim to bounce back from their defeats and stay in the hunt as they collide at 4 p.m. — Joey Villar