Games Thursday(PhilSports Arena)2 p.m. — Galeries Tower vs Akari4 p.m. — Creamline vs Nxled6 p.m. — Choco Mucho vs PLDT
SISTER TEAMS Creamline and Choco Mucho will try to reach the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference semifinals first as they battle Nxled and PLDT, respectively, today at the PhilSports Arena.
The Cool Smashers will also be gunning to extend their immaculate streak to eight as they battle the Chameleons, who are fighting for dear semis life with a 3-5 mark, at 4 p.m.
The Flying Titans, for their part, aim to improve their 7-1 record with a win over the High Speed Hitters, precariously at sixth with a 5-3 mark and likewise battling for survival, at 6 p.m.
A win for both will catapult the two straight to the semis and leave the rest to claw for the last two semis tickets.
Creamline has been nothing short of exceptional as it manhandled all the teams it faced and there is strong belief that it is on course to a historic 13th straight podium finish and the possibility of claiming its seventh crown — another league record.
Choco Mucho wasn’t that far away as the dynastic champion’s younger siblings has improved by leaps and bounds by plowing the opposition one by one including F2 Logistics, which the former most recently stunned, 19-25, 25-8, 25-17, 25-19, on Tuesday.
Interestingly, the Flying Titans’ one and only loss came at the hands of the Cool Smashers themselves that came in a four-set result in the conference opener last Oct. 15 at the Big Dome.
Choco Mucho hasn’t lost since and isn’t stopping anytime now.
Also part of the heavy triple bill is the faceoff between Galeries Tower (0-7) and Akari (4-4) at 2 p.m.
GERFLOR DEFENDERSMeanwhile, The Gerflor Defenders will have a very merry Christmas after all.
This after an anonymous Good Samaritan donated P2 million to cover for the Defenders’ unpaid salary for the rest of their Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference campaign.
“He donated P2 million that he coursed through me,” said PVL President Ricky Paloum who added that the donor requested that his name be kept secret.
Mr. Palou didn’t name the people responsible for the controversy but said they are now banned for life from the league.
He also vowed to do more background checking in the future to ensure this unfortunate incident will not happen again.
The issue of Gerflor’s unpaid salaries and poor training venue conditions came out in social media a couple of weeks ago.
Good thing humanity prevails in the end with this mysterious person with a heart of gold coming in saving the day for the Defenders. — Joey Villar