Unless top seed and defending champion Creamline and No. 3 pick Cignal show up with decimated lineups, both squads are expected to bowl over their respective lower-rated rivals as action in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference intensifies Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The Cool Smashers and the HD Spikers enter the knockout phase as heavy favorites against the Nxled Chameleons and the Galeries Tower Highrisers, respectively, in what many expect to be a showcase of their superior firepower and bench depth.

In their previous meeting, Creamline completely overpowered Nxled, nearly doubling its tally in attacks (50-26), tripling its advantage in blocks (6-2), and dominating in service aces (4-0).

While the Cool Smashers were uncharacteristically generous in unforced errors, gifting 24 points compared to Nxled’s 15, their overwhelming control in offense, defense and experience proved insurmountable.

Given their consistency and sheer dominance, another lopsided victory seems imminent.

Cignal, meanwhile, faces Galeries Tower with confidence, having already edged the Highrisers in attacks (46-39) and blocks (4-3) in their last encounter.

The HD Spikers have since morphed into a more cohesive and dangerous squad, despite the unexpected departure of key players.

Coach Shaq delos Santos has masterfully steered the team’s resurgence, drawing solid performances from Vanie Gandler, Roselyn Doria-Aquino, Judith Abil, and a promising supporting cast led by Ishie Lalongisip, Jacqueline Acuña and Jovelyn Fernandez.

With ace setter Gel Cayuna orchestrating plays and Dawn Catindig anchoring the defense, Cignal’s firepower should prove too much for the Highrisers to handle.

While the Chameleons and Highrisers have shown glimpses of promise, their struggles in closing out crucial moments raise doubts about their ability to pull off an upset.

In a high-stakes knockout scenario, sheer determination may not be enough to bridge the glaring gap in skill, experience and firepower against the league’s elite.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Petro Gazz braces for an expected rout of No. 11 Capital1, while No. 5 Choco Mucho and No. 8 Chery Tiggo rekindle their rivalry on Saturday. The action continues next Tuesday (4 March), with No. 6 Farm Fresh and No. 7 Akari preparing for a tightly contested battle, and No. 4 PLDT looking to reaffirm its dominance over ZUS Coffee.

The winners of these matches will secure their spots in the quarterfinals, while the losing teams will have one last shot at advancing through a play-in tournament, which kicks off on 6 March.

The quarterfinal stage is set to begin on 15 March.