MANILA — The Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference resumes this Saturday, January 18, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, with PLDT’s High Speed Hitters (3-2) facing off against the Akari Chargers (3-3) at 6:30 p.m.

Leading the charge for PLDT is Savi Davison, who is eager for redemption after their previous encounter, where Akari triumphed in a five-set thriller. “We owe them one,” said Davison. “It makes the win sweeter and the loss harder.”

PLDT coach Rald Ricafort added that the team stayed active during the holiday break with individual workouts, focusing on conditioning and court skills. However, the team will miss the presence of Kim Dy and Kim Fajardo, both sidelined with knee injuries.

Akari’s coach, Taka Minowa, emphasized their continuous improvement during the break, analyzing past games and refining team strategies. He remains optimistic despite the short turnaround time before the quarterfinals.

Other exciting matchups include Farm Fresh (2-3) vs. Nxled (0-5) at 1:30 p.m. and Choco Mucho (3-3) vs. ZUS Coffee (2-3) at 4 p.m. The rest of the weekend’s fixtures will feature Cignal, Creamline, and Petro Gazz.

As the prelims near their end, the top 12 teams will be ranked for the qualifying round, with the highest and lowest-ranked teams facing off. Winners will advance to the playoffs, while the losing teams will compete in the play-in tournament.

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