Cool Smashers, Angels gun for top seed

February 19, 2025 | 4:57pm

Games Thursday

(PhilSports Arena)

4 p.m. - Creamline vs Galeries Tower

6:30 p.m. - Nxled vs Petro Gazz

MANILA, Philippines — Creamline and Petro Gazz eye the No. 1 seed entering the crucial qualifying playoff round as they battle Galeries Tower and Nxled, respectively, Thursday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

Tied at the helm with 9-1 records, a straight-set win by the Cool Smashers over the Highrisers in their 4 p.m. duel would automatically clinch the former the top spot in the one-game qualification phase unfurling Thursday.

That would mean Creamline would be battling the 12th and last squad after the preliminaries, which could be one among Capital1 (1-10), Galeries Tower (1-9) or Nxled (1-9), for a spot to the best-of-three quarterfinals.

And the dynastic franchise, which is seeking a five-peat feat and a record 11th championship, should vent its ire on Galeries Tower after absorbing its first loss this conference after winning its first 10 matches at the hands of PLDT, 30-28, 25-21, 23-25, 18-25, 16-14, Saturday in Antipolo.

But Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said they moved on from that painful defeat.

“Nakarecover na kami,” he said.

For Petro Gazz, it is hoping to extend its amazing streak to nine in its 6:30 p.m. showdown with Nxled.

Angels mentor Koji Tzusurabara cautioned his players not to be too complacent against the much-improved Chameleons.

“They (Nxled) played a good last game,” said the veteran Japanese mentor, who is hoping to steer the squad to its first All-Filipino crown to add to its two Reinforced Conference crowns it had already owned.

Thursday’s double offering will be the second to the last play date of the prelims, with the last one slated Saturday in Passi, Iloilo where ZUS Coffee clashes with PLDT, and Chery Tiggo squares off with Choco Mucho.