BY ABBY TORALBA
WITH ace imports raring to lead their respective teams, cans can expect fireworks when the PVL Reinforced Conference kicks off this Saturday at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.
Nine teams bannered by defending champion Petro Gazz will be testing each other’s mettle in the tourney making a comeback after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think it was three years ago (iyong last Reinforced Conference) pero gusto pa rin namin i-ride iyong momentum,” Angels coach Rald Ricafort said yesterday in the tilt’s launch at the Discovery Suites in Pasig.
“Iyon nga, defending that championship with an import so kahit iba na iyong lineup namin this conference, tinake namin iyong challenge to get that championship,” he added.
Present were the reinforcements, team captains and coaches of all squads, along with PVL president Ricky Palou and tournament director Tonyboy Liao.
According to Liao, the tournament will have a single-round robin eliminations, with the top four teams reaching the single round semifinals.
The top two teams after the semis will square off in the best-of-five finals, while the other two crews will clash in a best-of-three battle-for-third.
Petro Gazz tapped American spiker Lindsey Vander Weide as import.
PLDT takes on United Auctioneers Army in the opening match at 2:30 p.m. before Cignal faces newcomer Akari at 5:30 p.m.
The High Speed Hitters tapped Russian Elina Savkina-Samoilenko; Army Troopers recruited spiker Laura Condotta from Canada; Cignal signed up American spiker Tai Bierria, while Akari brought in three-time Olympian Priscila Rivera from the Dominican Republic.
Turkish Yeliz Basa will be part of the Creamline Cool Smashers, Uzbekistani-Azerbaijani Odina Aliyeva will see action for the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Chery Tiggo Crossovers will have Jelena Cvijovic from Montenegro and American Lindsay Stalzer returned for the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.
