By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Saturday
(Philsports Arena)
4 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Akari
6 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Choco Mucho
Four teams launch their respective title campaigns when the six-month Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference fires off on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Petro Gazz, which boasts of three All-Filipino runner-up finishes, clashes with fan favorite Choco Mucho at 6 p.m., while latest Reinforced Conference finalist Akari tangles with Galeries Tower in the 4 p.m. curtain raiser.
The league is hosting its longest and most comprehensive tournament in history, revamping its tournament calendar and introducing an innovative format aligned with the FIVB’s international schedule to further raise the bar in the said local sporting scene.
Also competing in this conference aside from the four said teams are multi-titled and defending champion Creamline, Chery Tiggo, Cignal, PLDT, Farm Fresh, Nxled, Capital1 and ZUS Coffee.
Petro Gazz, which finished sixth in the import-laced conference a few months back, is expected to bank on veterans Jonah Sabete and Aiza Pontillas to join forces with returning MJ Phillips, while a healthy Choco Mucho boasts its star-studded roster that include Kat Tolentino and Royse Tubino.
Meanwhile, Akari is displaying a formidable roster featuring Ivy Lacsina, Ced Domingo and Fifi Sharma, against Galeries Tower that has top rookie Julia Coronel teaming up with Grazielle Bombita and Jewel Encarnacion.
This conference features a distinctive format. After the preliminary round, teams will be ranked 1 to 12. In the qualifying round, the top-ranked teams will face the lowest-ranked teams (e.g., Rank 1 vs. Rank 12, Rank 2 vs. Rank 11) for a chance to advance to the playoffs.
Losing teams will enter a play-in tournament for another opportunity to progress.
The quarterfinals will feature a best-of-three series, while the semifinals will follow a round-robin format with a tiebreaker if needed. The championship series will also be a best-of-three showdown.
