ANTIPOLO — Opening day of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals had its fair share of stunning outcomes in front of a 5,915-strong crowd at the Ynares Center.
READ: Fans out in full force in final game of the conference in Ynares
Akari staved off three match points in a 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14 five-set thriller over Choco Mucho.
Creamline also wasn’t spared from a stunning loss as Petro Gazz got the better of the defending champions in four sets, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16.
The Angels and the Chargers can both claim outright finals berths on Tuesday if they win their second semis assignments.
Here are the key takeaways from an eventful opening day of semis play.
1) CREAMLINE’S ‘DRIVE TO FIVE’ NOW A ‘DRIVE TO SURVIVE’
Just when the Cool Smashers began inching closer to a five-peat, losing their semis opener to perennial rivals Angels made the road to the gold much harder.
Creamline, however, is no stranger to setbacks here and there as it had to go through tough tests from the likes of Cignal and Choco Mucho to complete its Grand Slam run last year.
But this time, after losing to Petro Gazz for only the eighth time in 34 all-time PVL meetings, the 10-time champions now find themselves in uncharted territory as an 0-2 record — if they lose their second semis match against Akari on Tuesday — might just mark the beginning of the end of their championship reign.
While we know that Creamline can, the question is, will Creamline keep the drive to five alive?
2) FIRST CHOCO MUCHO HICCUP OF 2025 COULD BE A COSTLY ONE
Before the semis, Choco Mucho held the league’s longest active win streak at nine.
The Flying Titans were even the PVL’s only undefeated team in 2025, having won all eight of their matches in the lead-up to the Final Four.
Having blown that streak to ruins even after coming within one point of a 10th straight victory will be an excruciating one to take in.
From being an in-form title contender, Choco Mucho must now find a way to rise back up. If they were to do so come Tuesday, it will have to be against a Petro Gazz team it lost to in prelims play and one fresh off a morale-boosting beating of Creamline.
3) HEALTHY PETRO GAZZ IS A DANGEROUS PETRO GAZZ
The clearest message sent on opening day of semis play? Petro Gazz is in pole position for the championship if it keeps its healthy scoring core intact.
In one of the first few occasions they played together this conference, Brooke Van Sickle, Myla Pablo and Jonah Sabete combined for 56 points in the Angels’ four-set drubbing of the Cool Smashers.
Now spared from significant injury layoffs, Petro Gazz was able to win its first playoff game against Creamline in 735 days.
Not only are they healthier but the Angels just became stronger and scarier as they made their biggest stride yet en route to a third PVL title.
4) DON’T COUNT AKARI AND ELI SOYUD OUT
While many expected the single-round robin semis to end up as a three-horse race featuring Creamline, Choco Mucho and Petro Gazz, Akari made a resounding case in Antipolo that put the league on notice.
Veteran winger Eli Soyud erupted for her best scoring game yet in the pros with 34 points built on 27 attacks and seven blocks.
And even as their top scorer Ivy Lacsina had a rare off-night with just eight markers, Soyud was backed by impressive performances from Ced Domingo (14 points) and Faith Nisperos (11 points).
Safe to say, the Chargers have no shortage of weapons whatsoever to make an even deeper playoff push that might just end with a first franchise title in what would only be their second-ever finals appearance.
5) FOREIGN REFEREES A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE PVL
The PVL lived up to its word by bringing in foreign referees for the first time in league history to further promote impartiality and professionalism.
Hong Kong's Adams Wong and Thailand's Butsarin Hmog Mung Muang were handed the responsibility of officiating the rest of the league's playoff matches as the stakes grow higher by the day.
In the words of Akari head coach Taka Minowa, having such foreign referees onboard who have no knowledge of any team or player in the league made matches faster, clearer and all the more credible.
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