PETRO GAZZ ANGELS — FACEBOOK.COM/PREMIERVOLLEYBALLLEAGUE

Games on Tuesday
(PhilSports Arena)
4 p.m. – Creamline vs Akari
6:30 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs Choco Mucho

PETRO GAZZ AND AKARI look to arrange an interesting title duel while Creamline and Choco Mucho aim to avert it in Tuesday’s resumption of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals at the PhilSports Arena.

The Petro Gazz Angels and the Akari Chargers gained headway early with victories over the Creamline Cool Smashers, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14, respectively, last Saturday at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

If Petro Gazz beats Choco Mucho at 6:30 p.m. and Akari hurdles Creamline at 4 p.m., it will render the final semis play date on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum as non-bearing and set up a best-of-three titular showdown unfurling April 8 also at the Big Dome.

Petro Gazz coach Koji Tsuzurabara knows it will not be a walk in the park playing Choco Mucho.

“One more game with Choco Mucho, it’s tough,” said the veteran Japanese mentor.

Same with Akari bench tactician Taka Minowa, another Japanese who is hoping to steer the franchise to a second finals appearance after making it that far in last year’s Reinforced Conference only to succumb to the same team it will face next — Creamline.

“Creamline is tough to beat,” he said.

If both teams end up barging into the finale, it will be the second time in the last 15 conferences that there will be no Creamline in that stage.

Historically, the mighty Cool Smashers have made the finals in 13 of the previous 14 conferences and ended up winning 10 championships including an amazing four-peat feat, both league marks.

Only in the 2022 Reinforced Conference that Creamline did not make the finals in that impressive stretch.

It wound up third in that conference.

Like an eclipse, there’s a chance that it might just happen again if Creamline doesn’t do anything about it. — Joey Villar