ARMY Black Mamba and Chery Tiggo aim to keep their semifinal aspirations alive as the two gut it out in an all-important Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational elimination round duel today at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Lady Troopers are currently at fourth with a 2-2 card while the Crossovers are tied for fifth with the idle Choco Mucho Flying Titans with a 1-3 mark and the two are expected to give it their all in their 2:30 p.m. showdown.
The 2021 Open Conference champion hopes to ride the crest of its 25-22, 25-14, 25-21 win over Petro Gazz in Sta. Rosa, Laguna Thursday that gave it a first win that kept them in the semis race.
Army, in contrast, fell to PLDT 25-17, 11-25, 20-25, 18-25, at the MOA Arena Saturday that denied it of a chance of closing in on a semis seat.
Pace-setting Cignal, meanwhile, eyes a fifth straight win against an already-eliminated Petro Gazz at 5:30 p.m.
But since the HD Spikers were already assured of a semis berth, they are expected to rest some key players like they did in the past when they sat down starting center Gel Cayuna and went to an equally able back up in Ayel Estranero.
Ms. Estranero didn’t disappoint and led Cignal to a 25-23, 25-16, 25-18 triumph over Chery Tiggo last July 16.
The Angels are 0-4 and out of it.
The top four teams after the single-round elimination will advance to the semis where they will join Taiwan’s King Whale and Japan’s Kobe Shinwa in another single-round format. — Joey Villar