Games Tuesday(PhilSports Arena)2:30 p.m. — Chery Tiggo vs Creamline5:30 p.m. — Cignal vs Petro Gazz
BY tonight, Lindsey Vander Weide and the Petro Gazz Angels could end up hoisting the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference trophy at the PhilSports Arena.
Unless Tai Bierria and the Cignal HD Spikers could find ways to slow down, if not completely neutralize, the power-hitting killing machine in the 6-3 American spiker.
“If we’re really zoned in on something, it doesn’t matter who’s leading,” said Ms. Vander Weide, who detonated a 34-point bomb in powering Petro Gazz to a 25-21, 27-25, 37-35 win in last Thursday’s series opener at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The favorite to win this conference’s Best Import plum is expected to continue to unleash her wrath as the Angels go for the jugular in their 5:30 p.m. Game Two showdown with the HD Spikers.
A decider, if necessary, is on Thursday at the Pasig venue.
“We will try to carry the momentum of our last game into the next,” said Ms. Vander Weide.
Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos stressed that there’s no other way to beat Petro Gazz than finding an answer to Ms. Vander Weide.
“I have to give it to their import (Ms. Vander Weide), she can really score if she wants to score,” said Mr. Delos Santos, who had already steered his charges to its best finish in the league after a pair of bronzes in the Open and Invitational Conferences early this year.
Mr. Delos Santos though vowed to keep on fighting up to the very last.
“But we will not stop until we get that win,” he said.
Ms. Bierria, for her part, will try to be at par, or at least get closer, to what Ms, Vander Weide has done.
“I’ll try to explore some things out of my comfort zone,” said Ms. Bierria, who had a team-best 18 hits in Game One.
In the battle for third, Creamline, who took the opener, 25-22, 22-25, 25-5, 25-19, at the expense of Chery Tiggo, likewise guns for the clincher at 2:30 p.m. — Joey Villar
