Standings        W    L
Creamline         7    0
Choco Mucho   7    1
Chery Tiggo     7    1
Cignal              6    3
PLDT                5    3
PetroGazz        5    4
Akari                4    4
F2 Logistics      4    5
Nxled               3    5
Farm Fresh      1    8
Galeries Tower 0    7
Gerflor              0    8

Games Thursday
(Philsports Arena)
2 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Akari
4 p.m. – Creamline vs Nxled
6 p.m. – Choco Mucho vs PLDT

MANILA — Creamline and Choco Mucho are poised to clinch the first two semifinal berths in Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference matchups on Thursday at the Philsports Arena.

Currently holding the top two spots in the standings with impressive 7-0 and 7-1 records, the Cool Smashers and Flying Titans are well-positioned to secure places in the next round.

The afternoon clash features Creamline taking on also-ran Nxled at 4 p.m. A victory for the Cool Smashers, combined with a Choco Mucho win against PLDT in the 6 p.m. match, would leave two Final Four spots up for grabs.

While the Cool Smashers are favored to prevail against the Chameleons, the Flying Titans face a tougher challenge as the High-Speed Hitters are in must-win mode.

PLDT, currently in fifth place with a 5-3 slate, trails idle Cignal (6-3) by half a game in the race for the last semifinal slot.

Choco Mucho, riding a club-best seven-game winning streak, eliminated F2 Logistics with a thrilling 19-25, 25-8, 25-17, 25-19 victory on Tuesday.

Coach Dante Alinsunurin expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, especially after recovering from a first-set loss.

“Buti na lang pagdating ng second set, third set, nakuha namin yung rhythm namin. Nakuha namin yung gusto naming mangyari sa loob ng court. At nakuha namin yung game,” said Alinsunurin, whose squad has been undefeated since their loss to Creamline on October 15.

“Sa ngayon ano, talagang (ito) yung kailangan namin talaga. Medyo mahaba, kailangan talaga namin ma-practice lahat eh. Ang importante lahat kung ano yung pinapagawa namin sa first six, pati yung second six kailangan din gawin nila. Suwerte pa rin dahil nakita namin na kahit sinong bunutin namin, kunin namin sa labas na nagdedeliver. Kaya nga sobrang ganda na yung ginagawa ng team namin kasi lahat mindset talaga is gusto manalo every game,” he added.

PLDT’s semifinal bid hit a snag after losing two in a row.  The High-Speed Hitters dropped a 23-25, 21-25, 19-25 decision to the Cool Smashers in Cagayan de Oro last Saturday.

Akari, which at 4-4 cannot afford to drop matches to keep its slim Final Four hopes alive, plays winless Galeries Tower in the 2 p.m. curtain raiser.

(ai/mnm)