THE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference closes the first of its two preliminary phases Tuesday with a pair of rematches between ZUS Coffee and Akari and Capital1 and Choco Mucho.
The mathes were actually played on opening day of the conference but sans the imports who sat it out in the absence of their ITC, or International Transfer Certificates.
Among the four, the Thunderbelles emerged as the revelation of the conference with powerhouse import Anna DeBeer not only delivering on firepower but also providing inspiration and composure that have elevated the play of the local crew.
The result’s an immaculate 4-0 record in Pool B, making them the only unbeaten squad in both groups.
They’ll look to preserve the streak when they face the Chargers at 4 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
But while ZUS Coffee is brimming with confidence, Akari has quietly built momentum of its own, winning three of its first four outings to nearly secure the No. 3 slot behind the Thunderbelles and the Creamline Cool Smashers (3-2).
In the middle, Akari’s Ced Domingo and Fifi Sharma will have their hands full against Riza Nogales, AC Miner and Thea Gagate, while on the wings, Annie Mitchem, Eli Soyud, Grethcel Soltones and Chenie Tagaod will try to counter the balanced assault of Fiola Ceballos, Kate Santiago, and Jovelyn Gonzaga.
The 6:30 p.m. clash between Choco Mucho and Capital1 is also shaping up to be another thriller-both teams tote 2-2 records and the winner will secure the No. 3 spot in Pool A and advance alongside PLDT and Farm Fresh (both at 4-1) to the next stage.