Tuesday thriller up as 5 teams dispute 3 semis seats in PVL

THE single round eliminations phase of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference comes down to an expected wild finish Tuesday, with four teams knocking each other out for the two semifinal berths, and the other seeking to formalize its advance against a squad going all-out to stall its drive.

Only Creamline is assured of a spot in the next round, which will feature foreign guest teams from Japan and Vietnam, after the Cool Smashers completed a sweep of Pool A play in the two-group qualifying among 11 teams, leaving the final eliminations playdate a guaranteed scramble for the remaining three semifinal spots.

Among the five, however, F2 Logistics appears to have the inside track for the other Pool B slot as it faces a Foton side which fell short of its semifinal bid (1-3) but is eager to make things a lot tougher for the Cargo Movers and, at the same time, prime up for the Classification round.

They clash at 12 noon, with F2 Logistics hoping to erase the stigma of their tough five-set defeat to the Petro Gazz Angels last Thursday and make their stint in the semis of the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision official.

The next two matches, meanwhile, validate a pair of cliffhangers as resurgent Choco Mucho and a peaking Cignal collide at 4 p.m. for the other berth in Pool B. But while the HD Spikers will go to the crucial game in high spirits following 3-0 romps over Foton and Farm Fresh, the Flying Titans will be coming into the match physically and emotionally drained after a grueling but morale-boosting five-set escape over the Angels last Saturday.