TWO champion squads and two of last year’s runners-up are out to chase the top two berths coming out of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference single-round robin semifinals.
Creamline has its sights set on a five-peat and an 11th league title as a fitting follow-up to last year’s Grand Slam.
READ: What you need to know entering round-robin playoffs
Title number three is what it’s all about for Petro Gazz, as it looks to end a three-year championship drought.
After two close calls in their maiden finals appearances over the last two years, Choco Mucho and Akari aim for championship redemption to become the fourth pro team to win a PVL crown.
Surprisingly during the preliminary round, there wasn’t any five-set match when the four teams dueled each other — three were sweeps and three were four-setters.
To preview what will be an exhilarating week of playoff volleyball, here’s how the four semifinalists fared against each other back in prelims play.
CREAMLINE (3-0)
- Nov. 16: 3-set win vs. PGA: 25-19, 25-22, 25-16.
- Nov. 23: 3-set win vs. AKA: 26-24, 25-17, 25-16.
- Dec. 3: 4-set win vs. CMFT: 25-22, 25-20, 30-32, 25-20.
Creamline only lost one match in the preliminaries and it wasn’t against any of the three other semifinalists.
It was only its sister team Choco Mucho that managed to snatch an extended 32-30 set from the defending champions.
Dominant as the Cool Smashers might’ve been this conference, there won’t be any guarantees on whether they can pull off an identical hat-trick of dominant wins in the semis.
For one, Petro Gazz has only lost twice in 13 matches since its loss to Creamline in Antipolo — the same site of their oncoming semis-opener on Saturday.
Akari has been a recharged machine, having won its last three post-prelims matches en route to the Final Four.
And the only team yet to lose in 2025 with the league’s longest active win streak on hand at nine? The Flying Titans.
PETRO GAZZ (2-1)
- Nov. 9: 4-set win vs. CMFT: 25-20, 26-28, 25-21, 25-16.
- Nov. 16: 3-set loss to CCS: 19-25, 22-25, 16-25.
- Dec. 5: 3-set win vs. AKA: 28-26, 29-27, 25-18.
Petro Gazz’ one and only loss in prelims play was against Creamline in straight sets in Antipolo.
Then came a 10-game unbeaten run only to be snapped by ZUS Coffee in Game One of their best-of-three quarterfinals series.
One recent hiccup aside, though, the Angels are nowhere close to the shaky team it once was against its perennial title rival back in the season-opener.
From an offensive standpoint, an in-form Brooke Van Sickle plus a resurgent Myla Pablo and a returning Jonah Sabete, along with MJ Phillips and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas add up to what might just be one of the biggest threats to the Cool Smashers' golden reign.
CHOCO MUCHO (1-2)
- Nov. 9: 4-set loss to PGA: 20-25, 28-26, 21-25, 16-25
- Dec. 3: 4-set loss to CCS: 22-25, 20-25, 32-30, 20-25.
- Feb. 8: 4-set win vs. AKA: 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 25-15.
After stumbling one too many times in the 2024 stretch of the ongoing conference, Choco Mucho has simply become unstoppable.
The reigning All-Filipino silver medalist has yet to lose a match since falling flat in the first ‘Rebisco Clasico’ of the season at the Big Dome — the same venue of their oncoming semis-ending duel.
In 2025 alone, the Flying Titans are 8-0.
Add their year-ending five-set prelims win over Farm Fresh in 2024 and that makes it a league-best nine-game unbeaten run.
Come the semis, will Choco Mucho’s red-hot form work wonders in its bid to repeat over Akari and seek revenge on their prelims tormentors?
AKARI (0-3)
- Nov. 23: 3-set loss to CCS: 24-26, 17-25, 16-25.
- Dec. 5: 3-set loss to PGA: 26-28, 27-29, 18-25.
- Feb. 8: 4-set loss to CMFT: 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-25.
Results-wise, Akari holds the shortest end of the stick come the semifinals.
By not getting a single win against the three other semifinalists, they will enter the penultimate round of the competition as clear-cut underdogs.
It is worth noting, however, that the Chargers were able to take down both Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho when it made its first-ever run to the title series in last year’s Reinforced Conference.
Although import-laden, that winning energy is one Akari must channel to prove it is a legitimate title contender even with an all-Filipino unit.
Their prelims run might’ve had more losses than wins at 5-6, but those last three post-prelims wins might just spark a new fire that could bring the Chargers one step closer to a first franchise title.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
