Oragons, Water Defenders gear up for PVL quarters

Struggling Iriga-Navy and BaliPure try to regain rhythm and bearing heading to the quarterfinal round as they take on outright semifinalists Creamline and PayMaya, respectively, at the close of the elimination round of the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today.

The Cool Smashers and the High Flyers toppled the BaliPure Water Defenders and the PetroGazz Angels last Saturday to clinch the two outright berths in the Final Four, leaving the rest of the eight-team field to fight for the other two in another single round quarters starting Saturday.

That should motivate IrigaNavy and BaliPure to go for wins for the momentum going to the quarters, particularly the Lady Oragons, who have dropped five straight games after an opening game victory over the Water Defenders.

But ranged against Alyssa Valdez and the Cool Smashers in their 4 p.m. match, the IrigaNavy side will have to double its effort to at least measure up with the league’s leading team’s firepower.

BaliPure, meanwhile, hopes to recover from its back-toback setbacks to Pocari and Creamline as it faces PayMaya in the 6 p.m. main game.

In Saturday’s quarters, the No. 3 team will tangle with No. 8 and Nos. 4 and 7 clash in the other match. Tacloban is currently at No. 3 with a 4-3 card followed by BaliPure at 3-3 while Pocari, PetroGazz and BanKo Perlas tote identical 3-4 slates and Iriga-Navy in last with a 1-5 mark.

Imports Janisa Johnson and Alexis Matthews try to neutralize PayMaya counterparts Tess Rountree and Shelby Sullivan while the BaliPure’s local crew, led by Joyme Cagande and Faith Nisperos hope to deliver along with Alyssa Solomon, Princess Robles and Roselyn Doria.