Cool Smashers, HD Spikers Eye QF Berths

Games tomorrow (Thursday)

4 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Cignal

6:30 p.m. – Creamline vs Nxled

With a firm grip on their qualifying round matchups, top-seeded Creamline and No. 3 Cignal aim to dominate their lower-ranked rivals in pursuit of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference title.

The Cool Smashers and the HD Spikers enter Thursday’s knockout phase as heavy favorites against the Nxled Chameleons and the Galeries Tower Highrisers, respectively, in what many expect to be a showcase of superior firepower and depth.

In their previous meeting, Creamline overpowered Nxled, nearly doubling its tally in attacks (50-26), tripling its advantage in blocks (6-2) and dominating in service aces (4-0). While the Cool Smashers committed 24 unforced errors compared to Nxled’s 15, their overwhelming edge in offense, defense and experience proved insurmountable.

Given their consistency and dominance, another lopsided victory appears likely.

Cignal, meanwhile, faces Galeries Tower with confidence, having previously outperformed the Highrisers in attacks (46-39) and blocks (4-3). The HD Spikers have since evolved into a more cohesive and dangerous squad despite the unexpected departure of key players.

Coach Shaq delos Santos has guided the team’s resurgence, drawing standout performances from Vanie Gandler, Roselyn Doria-Aquino, and Judith Abil, supported by Ishie Lalongisip, Jacqueline Acuña and Jovelyn Fernandez.

With ace setter Gel Cayuna orchestrating plays and Dawn Catindig anchoring the defense, Cignal’s firepower could prove too much for the Highrisers.

While the Chameleons and Highrisers have shown flashes of promise, their struggles in closing out crucial moments raise doubts about their ability to pull off an upset. In a high-stakes knockout scenario, sheer determination may not be enough to bridge the skill, experience and firepower gap against the league’s elite.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Petro Gazz is expected to rout No. 11 Capital1, while No. 5 Choco Mucho and No. 8 Chery Tiggo renew their rivalry on Saturday.

The action continues next Tuesday, March 4, with No. 6 Farm Fresh and No. 7 Akari battling for a quarterfinal spot, while No. 4 PLDT looks to reaffirm its dominance over ZUS Coffee.

The winners of these matches will secure quarterfinal berths, while the losing teams will have one last chance through a play-in tournament starting March 6. The quarterfinal stage begins on March 15.