Cool Smashers eye solo PVL lead

Games Tuesday
(PhilSports Arena)

2 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Capital1 Solar
4 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs Nxled
6 p.m. – Cignal vs Creamline

MANILA, Philippines – Creamline guns for the solo lead while Cignal seeks a share of it as the two collide in a battle of the giants Tuesday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena.

The Cool Smashers routed the Capital1 Solar Spikers, 25-18, 25-14, 25-15, Thursday to share the lead with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans and PLDT High Speed Hitters with 5-1 records.

A win would catapult the proud dynastic franchise back to No. 1 again.

For the HD Spikers, who smashed the Strong Group Athletics belles, 25-7, 25-16, 25-16, last week, they currently own a 4-1 card and if they could pull off a win in their 6 p.m. game, they would dislodge and replace the Cool Smashers at the helm.

Creamline skipper Alyssa Valdez said they would need to focus more on minimizing their mistakes to get that winning groove back.

“Definitely we had lapses in our last game, but one thing coach (Sherwin Meneses) has reminded us repeatedly is to stick to the system,” said Valdez. “If he sees it, it’s already a win for us.”

For Cignal mentor Shaq delos Santos, they would need to harness more of their attacking game for them to have a chance against Creamline.

“Mag all out kami sa attack, ipupush namin mag improve atake, yun kasi nakikita namin kung bakit kami natalo nung isang game,” said Delos Santos referring to his team’s 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 defeat to Choco Mucho last Mar. 14.

Meanwhile, Petro Gazz and Chery Tiggo, who possess identical 4-2 marks, aim to bolster their semis bids as they tackle Capital1 Solar (1-5) at 2 p.m. and Nxled (1-4) at 4 p.m., respectively.

Interestingly, the Crossovers edged the Angels in a gripping 25-21, 18-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-13 win Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum that kept the former in the semis hunt.