Full-bodied Foton faces Army

MANILA, Philippines - Foton will field a full roster when it clashes with RC Cola-Army, hoping to improve its chance for the top spot in the semifinals of the Asics Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix presented by PLDT Home Ultera today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Game time is at 3 p.m.  following the battle between struggling Generika and Cignal in the 12:30 p.m. opener.

Toting a 6-1 win-loss card, the Tornadoes must sweep their last three games to overtake Petron and claim the top spot in the semifinals.

The first match will be shown live on TV5, AksyonTV, Hyper and Sports5.ph while the second match can be seen on Hyper and Sports5.ph.

Right now, Petron is on top with an 8-1 win-loss mark following a masterful straight set conquest of Cignal late Thursday, 25-18, 25-10, 25-17. But there could be a complete reversal of fortunes as the Tri-Activ Spikers and the Tornadoes clash on the final day of the preliminaries Thursday next week in what could be a preview of the finals.

The top two teams after the double-round preliminaries will automatically advance to the semifinals while the third seed faces the sixth seed and the fourth seed battles the fifth seed in the sudden-death playoffs, making the last few games crucial for all teams.

The survivors in the playoffs face Petron and Foton in the semis set at the Ibalong Centrum for Recreation in Legazpi City on Dec. 3.

Save for EJ Laure who remains doubtful, Foton will have a complete roster as it welcomes the return of Jaja Santiago following a grueling 12-day training in Japan together with National University.

In its previous game, Santiago’s absence was very obvious as F2 Logistics dominated them with a 25-15, 23-25, 25-23, 26-24 victory at the Imus City Sports Complex in Cavite.

The event is sponsored Mikasa, Mueller, Grand Sport and Senoh, TV5 (official broadcast partner), Focus Athletics, KLab Cyscorpions, Foton, Petron and F2 Logistics.