MANILA – Cignal aims for its third consecutive victory as it faces Akari on Tuesday (18 Feb 2025) at Philsports Arena in Pasig City, looking to solidify its hold on the No. 3 seed in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference.

Currently tied for third with PLDT and Choco Mucho at 7-3, Cignal holds the edge in points over the High Speed Hitters (22-20) and Flying Titans (22-17). A win against Akari would formally secure their spot at No. 3.

“Our goal in the last game was to win for a better advantage in the standings,” said rookie standout Ishie Lalongisip. “Now, we just focus on training and trust that the players will follow the coach’s game plan.”

Lalongisip made waves last week with a career-high 20 points, including 18 attacks and two aces, in Cignal’s 25-18, 25-22, 21-25, 25-11 triumph over ZUS Coffee. She will be backed by teammates Vanie Gandler, Jacqueline Acuña, Roselyn Doria-Aquino, and Gel Cayuna, who helped end Cignal’s two-game slump with a dominant 3-0 win over Capital1 on February 6.

Akari (5-5) will aim to bounce back from its 1-3 loss to Choco Mucho. Faith Nisperos, Ivy Lacsina, and Eli Soyud will lead the Chargers, who are tied with Chery Tiggo in sixth place.

In the 6 p.m. match, Farm Fresh (4-6) will count on Trisha Tubu, Caitlin Viray, and Jolina dela Cruz as they take on Capital1, which sits at the bottom with a 1-9 record.

Capital1 will rely on Shola Alvarez, Des Clemente-De Guzman, and others to improve their standings.

ia/mnm

MANILA – The Akari Chargers will look to maintain their flawless record as they enter the crossover preliminary round of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference, beginning Saturday (10 Aug 2024) at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Akari, Cignal, and Capital1 lead the standings from Pool B after the first round. Their opponents from Pool A include Galeries Tower, Farm Fresh, and Nxled.

The Chargers, with a perfect 5-0 record, will face the Highrisers (0-5) at 1 p.m. This match will be followed by the HD Spikers (4-1) taking on the Foxies (2-3) at 3 p.m., and the Solar Spikers (3-2) battling the Chameleons (1-4) at 5 p.m. in Pool D.

Oly Okaro, the prolific Akari import, will continue to lead the team, supported by key locals such as Grethcel Soltones, Joy Soyud, Ivy Lacsina, Camille Victoria, and Ced Domingo.

The Highrisers will rely on their Thai import, Chuewulim Sutadta, alongside local talents France Ronquillo, Dimdim Pacres, Graze Bombita, RJ Doromal, Roselle Baliton, and Andrea Marzan.

Meanwhile, Cignal will be returning from a tough 25-15, 17-25, 19-25, 22-25 loss to Akari earlier this week. They will be led by MJ Perez, Ces Molina, Roselyn Doria, Chin Basas, Jacqueline Acuna, Riri Meneses, and playmaker Gel Cayuna.

Capital1, fresh off an 18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18 victory over ZUS Coffee, will aim to continue their winning form with the help of import Marina Tushova and locals Norielle Ipac, Des Clemente, Jenya Torres, and Leila Cruz.

In Pool C, the top teams from Pool A—Chery Tiggo, Creamline, and PLDT—will face off against Choco Mucho (1-4), Petro Gazz (2-3), and ZUS Coffee (0-5) on Tuesday. All three teams currently hold identical 4-1 records.

The top four teams from each pool will advance to the knockout quarterfinals.

(ia/mnm)