Angels eye big start vs Valdez-less Cool Smashers

Games Saturday 4 p.m. – Akari vs Choco Mucho 6:30 p.m. – Creamline vs Petro Gazz

PETRO Gazz hopes to exploit the absence of Alyssa Valdez as the Angels mix it up with the Creamline Cool Smashers in a compelling rematch of last year’s finalists marking the start of the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference today (Saturday) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Valdez has been out of commission since suffering a right knee injury during the team’s bronze medal clash with Chery Tiggo in the 2022 Reinforced Conference but the three-time league MVP expects the rest of the Cool Smashers to take over and deliver despite her absence.

“I’m very much confident that this team will give a good fight this conference,” said Valdez.

With Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza on the firing end, Ced Domingo manning the middle, Jia De Guzman orchestrating the plays and the likes of Michele Gumabao, Pangs Panaga, Risa Sato, Kyle Negrito, Kyle Atienza and Rose Vargas ready to step up at any given chance, things remain looking up for the defending champions in the tournament they ruled via sweep of the Angels last year.

But while the Angels also lost a key figure in Myla Pablo, who has opted to move over to F2 Logistics, the 2022 Reinforced Conference champions remain as formidable as ever with MJ Philips, Grethcel Soltones, Jonah Sabete, Nicole Tiamzon and Aiza Pontillas still in the fold, along with Djanel Cheng, Alisa Buitre, Lourdes Clemente and Remy Palma.

New coach Oliver Almadro is also expected to give the team a new dimension and new recruits Dzi Gervacio and Jellie Tempiatura out to provide added firepower.

Gametime is set at 6:30 p.m. “Exciting naman palagi ang laban namin sa Petro Gazz. Pero ngayon, new head coach sila (Oliver Almadro) kaya pag-aaralan namin. Basta expect na magiging ready kami at ang Petro Gazz,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses.

“Naghanda at nagpalakas ang lahat ng teams ngayong off-season. Kami naman, intact pa rin yung lineup namin. Handa naman kami this conference pero, yun nga, nag-recruit ng bagong players yung ibang team tapos yung ibang teams naman nagbago ng sistema altogether. Tignan na lang natin kung san kami aabutin ngayong All-Filipino,” he added.