Do or die: PLDT ousts Choco Mucho, Petro routs Chery to seal PVL playoff spots
MANILA, Philippines – The 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference playoff cast is set after a frantic, yet quick triple-header slate to cap off the elimination round at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Thursday, August 22.
In a conference essentially demanding teams to make the most of their shorthanded lineups, PLDT rose to the fourth seed with a 6-2 record after eliminating ninth-ranked Choco Mucho following a first-set slip-up, 21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19.
As the High Speed Hitters elect to sit Kianna Dy for the rest of the import-laden conference, lanky hitter Lena Samoilenko continued to carry a heavy scoring load with a game-high 30 points, but still with ample support from wingers like Kiesha Bedonia and Erika Santos, who scored 16 and 13, respectively.
The Flying Titans, who dropped to a franchise-worst ninth-place finish with a 2-6 slate due to the mandated absences of Alas Pilipinas players Cherry Nunag and PVL MVP Sisi Rondina, turned to veteran Dindin Manabat for 22 points as import Zoi Faki and head coach Dante Alinsunurin also did not suit up.
Champ Petro Gazz crawls to 6th seed; star-less Creamline rises to 3rd
Meanwhile, the defending champion Petro Gazz Angels fanned their late-blooming competitive fire with a 25-20, 25-16, 25-12 rout of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers to slot in at the sixth seed with a 5-3 record.
Import Wilma Salas and reigning All-Filipino MVP Brooke Van Sickle clutched the scoring cudgels anew with 21 and 12 points, respectively, as the Angels continue to recover from a sickness bug that defined their early-conference struggles.
Reinforcement Khat Bell and former MVP Mylene Paat scored just 8 apiece in the lackluster showing as Chery Tiggo kept the fifth seed with a similar 5-3 slate, but with a 15-14 game-point tiebreaker over No. 6 Petro Gazz. The Crossovers are also missing Alas standouts Eya Laure and Jen Nierva.
Upstart Capital1, also holding a 5-3 card, slid down to the seventh seed with just 13 game points.
To kick off the three-game schedule in San Juan City, the Creamline Cool Smashers – yet another understaffed team without Alas player Jema Galanza and injured MVPs Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez – rose rather quietly to the third seed following a 25-17, 25-15, 25-22 sweep of winless ZUS Coffee.
Import Erica Staunton cruised to a 17-point effort, backstopped by 11 points, 12 excellent digs, and 6 excellent receptions from sleeper MVP candidate Bernadeth Pons, as Creamline edged PLDT in the 6-2 record tiebreaker also via game points.
Without Alas starter and No. 1 rookie pick Thea Gagate, PVL champion Asaka Tamaru was ultimately left to her own devices all conference long, as she honorably bowed out with a 16-point, 14-excellent dig effort for the 0-8 Thunderbelles.
Knockout playoffs bring unpredictable flavor
With the quarterfinals cast set, unlikely first-seed squad Akari stakes its 8-0 elims sweep first against No. 8 Farm Fresh, with the Chargers missing Alas players Faith Nisperos and Fifi Sharma, while the Foxies still having Jolina dela Cruz on the injured list.
Contenders PLDT and Chery Tiggo, meanwhile, clash in the 4th vs 5th matchup spot.
Over at the other side of the bracket, second-seeded Cignal — without national team players Vanie Gandler and Dawn Catindig — takes on breakout team Capital1 led by two-time top single-game scorer Marina Tushova, who followed up a 45-point explosion with a 49-point bomb just nine days apart.
Finally, at the No. 3 vs No. 6 spot, Creamline takes on longtime rival Petro Gazz, as the latter continues its conference three-peat title bid now spanning five years due to the pandemic.
The Angels are dedicating this conference to the late Janisa Johnson, the American import who helped put the squad on the PVL contenders’ circle as the 2019 Reinforced Conference Finals MVP.
ALL SET FOR THE KNOCKOUTS!
— Premier Volleyball League (@pvlph) August 22, 2024
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– Rappler.com