Choco Mucho collide with Cignal for solo lead at PVL Invitational Conference

CIGNAL and Choco Mucho renew their budding rivalry as the they collide on Thursday for the solo lead in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

The HD Spikers turned back the Army Black Mamba Lady Troopers, 25-17, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, in the conference opener on Saturday while the Flying Titans steamrolled the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23, on Tuesday to likewise open their campaign with the bang.

Cignal and Choco Mucho currently share the lead with Creamline and PLDT, but the winner of their 2:30 p.m. showdown will seize the solo lead.

The duel would also rekindle the rivalry that spawned from the HD Spikers’ battle-for-third win over the Flying Titans that was decided via quotient after the two split their two games.

It was especially heartbreaking for Choco Mucho as it won the first game of that fateful series only to lose the second that handed Cignal the third place trophy after Creamline swept Petro Gazz in the finals.

Their series would have gone to a deciding Game 3 if the Creamline-Petro Gazz title clash had gone to a decider too.

Choco Mucho coach Oliver Almadro, however, would rather focus on just improving every game.

“We will treat our every game as a learning experience for us to improve more,” said Mr. Almadro.

Kat Tolentino is expected to ride the crest of her spectacular 22-point effort in their last outing that also saw setter Deanna Wong showing excellent form after a shin injury she sustained last April.

Cignal, for its part, is expected to rely on Ces Molina, who had 16 hits including four kill blocks in their first win, and the duo of skipper Rachel Anne Daquis and Roselyn Doria, who  each had 10 last time.

In the other game, it will be Army Black Mamba and Petro Gazz tackling each other at 5:30 p.m. — Joey Villar