THE Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference unfolds today, Tuesday, with talents of varying forms and styles setting out with the same goal — win at all costs.
While Creamline remains the yardstick given its intact, tested roster, there is a slew of reasons for the other teams to be optimistic about their respective chances.
One thing is certain: the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. is in for a record run.
Thirteen teams, including three new members and two foreign guest squads — the most in any conference since the SVMGI revived the sport in 2004 — will slug it out for the coveted crown in a single elimination format with the 11 local teams divided into two groups.
Group A is made up of defending champion Creamline, a souped-up Chery Tiggo, a solid PLDT, unpredictable Akari and Gerflor, one of the three new teams, while Petro Gazz, F2 Logistics, Choco Mucho, Cignal and newcomers Farm Fresh and Foton banner Group B.
Multi-awarded Alyssa Valdez, the heart and soul of Creamline, summed it all up when she said: “The level of competition will definitely be higher this conference.”
Three months after retaining the All-Filipino Conference, formerly the Open, the Cool Smashers never stopped dreaming and preparing for another title run with the team’s core anchoring the national women’s team’s campaign in the recent SEA Games in Cambodia.
They also enlisted all-around open hitter Bernadeth Pons to complement Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza’s games, along with those of Jia de Guzman and Kyla Atienza’s, although Creamline fans are as much eager and thrilled as the rest over the return to competitive play of Valdez, who missed the All-Filipino conference due to a knee injury.
“‘Yung team na healthy all throughout the season will make a big difference this conference — lahat pantay-pantay na talaga, including ‘yung support ng mga teams,” said Valdez.
They kick off their campaign against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers at 6:30 p.m.
Chery Tiggo signed UST’s Eya Laure and Imee Hernandez, and the National U trio of Princess Robles, Jennifer Nierva, and Joyme Cagande to backstop a team led by seasoned campaigners Mylene Paat, Buding Duremdes, Ponggay Gaston and EJ Laure.
“We are very excited if you may say so but it really entails a lot of responsibilities to match and manage the expectations of many,” said Chery Tiggo head coach Aaron Velez.
“Overall, this is an opportunity to start developing a younger era of talents for the long term,” he added.
The first two games will feature Group B teams with F2 Logistics testing the mettle of Farm Fresh side at 1:30 p.m. and Cignal squares off against Petro Gazz at 4 p.m. with the games aired over PVL.ph, One Sports, and One Sports+ with live streaming on Smart Livestream and Cignal Play.
Coming off a bronze finish the last time out, the Cargo Movers reloaded by adding Jolina Dela Cruz, Mars Alba and Jovelyn Fernandez.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semifinals, a round-robin phase to be spiced up by the participation of two foreign guest squads. The top two will dispute the gold medal in a winner-take-all finale with the third and fourth-placed teams to compete for the bronze.
