Creamline and Choco Mucho, which recently faced off in a thrilling All-Filipino finals before a massive crowd, will square off for the first time in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference on Saturday, promising to draw a sellout crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The 5 p.m. encounter is crucial for both teams as they push towards the quarterfinals with only three playdates left in the crossover round.
Creamline, currently tied with Chery Tiggo at fourth place with a 4-2 record, needs a win to strengthen its position in the top eight. On the other hand, Choco Mucho, sitting at ninth place with a 2-4 slate, is in desperate need of a victory to revive its campaign.
Both teams, known for their strong fan bases, are determined to secure a win in a match, which follows their last All-Filipino encounter that attracted over 23,000 spectators at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
However, the teams are also facing significant challenges due to the absence of key players. The Alas Pilipinas team’s commitment to international exhibitions means Creamline will continue to play without star players Tots Carlos, Alyssa Valdez, and Jema Galanza.
Similarly, Choco Mucho will be without the dynamic Sisi Rondina and top middle blocker Cherry Nunag.
Other teams are also coping with the loss of key players.
Chery Tiggo is missing Eya Laure and Jen Nierva, Cignal is without Vanie Gandler and Dawn Catindig, Akari hope to continue to buck the absence of Fifi Sharma and Faith Nisperos, and so does PLDT with Dell Palomata.
In other matches, Chery Tiggo aims to improve its 4-2 record against ZUS Coffee, which has been eliminated after losing its first six games.
The 3 p.m. clash between PLDT and Petro Gazz is also expected to be tightly contested, with the High Speed Hitters looking to boost their 5-1 record as they head towards the quarterfinals of the import-laced conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
The Angels, on the other hand, are hoping to join the Capital1 Solar Spikers in the top six with a 4-3 record.
Games are telecast live on Pilipinas Live, RPTV, One Sports, One Sports+, and pvl.ph.
