TOUGH TASK AHEAD: Unbeaten PLDT clashes with Chery Tiggo

Games today:

(Philsports Arena)

1 p.m. — Nxled vs Farm Fresh

3 p.m. — Galeries Tower vs Creamline

5 p.m. — PLDT vs Chery Tiggo

PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort wants his players to stay focused as they put their unbeaten record on the line in a collision course against powerhouse Chery Tiggo in Pool A of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Still pristine after three outings, the High Speed Hitters will undergo another acid test in the 5 p.m. showdown with rebound-seeking Crossovers.

Meanwhile, Nxled and Farm Fresh clash at 1 p.m. while Creamline and Galeries Tower battle at 3 p.m.

All eyes will be on PLDT when it tries to secure its spot in the top three for a favorable position in the crossover second round where it will face the bottom three teams in Pool B in another round-robin play.

But Ricafort knows that taking down Chery Tiggo led by prolific scorer American import Khat Bell is no easy task.

“They are a complete team. They play a complete game. Their import is a complete package, and their locals are contributing so definitely, it’s not gonna be easy,” the mentor said.

“But we just have to work hard just like in our previous games.”

Ricafort will again rely on the firepower of Russian import Elena Samoilenko, who scored 20 points in PLDT’s 32-30, 25-18, 25-17, victory over the Chameleons last Tuesday.

Also carrying the fight for the High Speed Hitters are Erika Santos, who dropped 19 points last match, Fiola Ceballos and middle blockers Mika Reyes and Majoy Baron.

Chery Tiggo, on the other hand, is raring to get back on the winning track after seeing its two-game win run snapped by the Cool Smashers, 20-25, 26-24, 16-25, 19-25, despite the 31-point explosion of Bell.

“I think it’s normal to have a setback. Of course, people are thinking about what they could have done better and that was one thing I tried to talk to them about. It doesn’t matter now, at this point let’s just learn from it. I think the most important thing is to go back in facing PLDT, which is also a great team,” Bell said.

The Crossovers will need a lot more from its locals aside from the consistent support on offense from Ara Galang as veterans Mylene Paat, Aby Marano, Cza Carandang and Pauline Gaston must find ways to snap out of their funk.

Meanwhile, Creamline is on a two-game win run after an opening-day setback for a tie with Chery Tiggo at second to third.

The Highrisers, on the other hand, remain winless after three starts.

Nxled has dropped its last two games after winning its first assignment while Farm Fresh seeks a follow-up to its five-setter victory over Galeries Tower.

The Chameleons and Foxies are tied at 1-2 slates.