By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Cignal will eye its third straight win to fortify its hold of the No. 3 seed when it battles Akari on Tuesday in the qualifying round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The HD Spikers, tied for third with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans at 7-3, take on the Chargers at 4 p.m.
The HD Spikers will formally take the No. 3 spot if they prevail as they have the advantage on points (22-17) over the Flying Titans.
“Our mindset in the last game is we need to get that win so that we can have an advantage for the placing in the preliminaries and then we just go back to training and just work because no one else will work in the game but us, players, who follow the coach,” rookie sensation Ishie Lalongisip said.
Lalongisip registered a career-high 20 points on 18 attacks and two aces in Cignal’s 25-18, 25-22, 21-25, 25-11 victory over ZUS Coffee last week.
Vanie Gandler, Jacqueline Acuña, Roselyn Doria-Aquino and ace setter Gel Cayuna are also expected to shine for the HD Spikers, who ended a two-game slump with a 25-12, 25-15, 25-17 win over the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Feb. 6.
Meanwhile, Akari (5-5) will try to rebound from its 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-25 loss to Choco Mucho on Feb. 8.
Faith Nisperos, Ivy Lacsina, Eli Soyud, Fifi Sharma, Erika Raagas, Kamille Cal and Camille Victoria will banner the Chargers, who are tied with the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in sixth place at 5-5.
In the second match at 6 p.m., Farm Fresh (4-6) will rely on Trisha Tubu, Caitlin Viray, Aly Bertolano and Jolina dela Cruz when it faces Capital1.
Capital1, at the bottom with Nxled at 1-9, will bank on Shola Alvarez, Des Clemente-De Guzman, Trisha Genesis, Jorelle Singh, Rovena Instrella, Patty Orendain and Leila Cruz. (PNA)
