With nine playdates left before the preliminaries of the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference comes to a close, the semifinals race promises to be intense and unpredictable.
Nine contending teams are still in the hunt for a Final Four slot, while three other squads in Galeries Tower, Capital1, and Strong Group Athletics have already bowed out of contention.
As the jostle for positioning intensifies, here are several scenarios and key match-ups that could define the final stretch of the elimination round.
Choco Mucho Flying Titans
At the summit of the standings is where the Choco Mucho Flying Titans sit, who have asserted their dominance with a 7-1 card for 21 points.
Despite having the best record in the season-opening conference, the Flying Titans are yet to secure a semis berth, owing to the fact that four other teams continue to trail them close behind.
To put one foot inside the Final Four bus, Choco Mucho must defeat its next assignment in SGA on April 13, Saturday. The odds are highly stacked in favor of the Flying Titans, as the also-ran league newcomers remain the only winless team in the field.
The Flying Titans would then be assured of at least a tiebreak if they beat at least one of their last two opponents.
Choco Mucho’s most crucial bout will happen on April 18, Thursday, when the team take on Creamline in a rematch of last conference’s Finals. The Flying Titans would then lock horns with the upset-conscious Farm Fresh Foxies on April 23, Tuesday.
Simply put, the best scenario for Choco Mucho is sweeping its remaining games.
In case they lose two of the last three, the Flying Titans will have to leave everything to fate, hoping that two teams among Petro Gazz, Creamline, PLDT, Cignal, or Chery Tiggo would suffer defeat twice in the final stretch.
Petro Gazz Angels
After pulling off a thrilling escape act over Creamline, the Petro Gazz Angels have gained crucial positioning in the Final Four tussle.
The huge five-set victory allowed the Angels to soar to a 6-2 record, grabbing hold of solo second seed with 19 points.
To further strengthen its bid for a semifinals berth, Petro Gazz must also remain flawless for the rest of the preliminaries. A loss in such a tight race can prove fatal, after all.
This, however, is easier said than done as the Angels will have to take on another one of their rivals in the Cignal HD Spikers next on April 16, Tuesday.
Should Petro Gazz emerge victorious, the triumph would push them closer to a coveted slot while dealing a potentially critical blow to Cignal. This would also provide a three-game winning streak for Angels – a momentum that could propel them past both Galeries Tower and Nxled.
Creamline Cool Smashers
This is the most vulnerable Creamline has ever been in years.
This deep into the elimination round, the reigning champions, who now hold a 6-2 slate for solo third place with 18 points, cannot afford another heartbreaker.
After all, a loss can jeopardize the title-retention quest of the Cool Smashers, as it would leave the door open for the remaining bidders to move up the ladder.
Creamline will first have to regroup from a deflating five-set loss to Petro Gazz and regain its winning form in a pivotal clash versus the Nxled Chameleons on April 13, Saturday.
The Cool Smashers would then have to kick their title drive into higher gear heading into the marquee clashes with the Flying Titans and the PLDT High Speed Hitters, the last of which is scheduled on April 25, Thursday.
PLDT High Speed Hitters
PLDT is blazing a trail of victories as it rides the crest of a four-game surge, and the High Speed Hitters are looking to sustain that scorching streak heading into a wringer of a four-game stretch.
Holding a 6-1 record for 17 points at solo fourth place, PLDT cannot rest on its laurels as it braces to face threat after threat, with fierce contenders Chery Tiggo, Cignal, and Creamline all bent on jamming the team's Final Four aspirations.
Should PLDT manage to emerge victorious in two of the three significant clashes, a semis berth may be well within its reach.
But first, the High Speed Hitters must prevent themselves from falling into a pit of complacency to secure an all-important win in their upcoming encounter against also-ran SGA on Tuesday, April 9.
Cignal HD Spikers and Chery Tiggo Crossovers
Of all the nine teams still in contention, Cignal arguably has the toughest schedule of all, with a pivotal clash against Chery Tiggo set on April 11, Thursday.
Both teams own an identical 5-2 record, with the HD Spikers holding the fifth spot in the standings by virtue of points (16 points) ahead of the sixth-seeded Crossovers (14 points).
The winner of the crucial bout will be able to break away from the middle of the pack while hindering the chances of the unfortunate contender.
That, though, is just one of the four critical matches in store for Cignal, with Petro Gazz, PLDT, and win-hungry Capital1 eager to pull off a win of their own.
For its part, Chery Tiggo also braces for a challenging stretch ahead as it takes on PLDT, Akari, and Galeries Tower following the bout against Cignal.
Both teams must win most – if not all – of their remaining matches to stay in contention.
Akari Chargers, Nxled Chameleons, and Farm Fresh Foxies
Despite facing steep odds and enduring a series of setbacks throughout the conference, Akari, Nxled, and Farm Fresh are still clinging to hopes of securing a spot in the next round.
Among the three, the Chargers hold the biggest fighting chance with a 3-5 record for nine points at seventh place. Their road to the Final Four is an uphill climb, but it appears to be doable.
Akari will be dealing with Capital1, Chery Tiggo, and SGA in the final stretch. Should the Chargers dispatch the two league neophytes and take down the Crossovers via sweep, they will be able to amass 18 points.
If ever the contending teams suffer from a dry spell to end the preliminaries, Akari might just find itself eligible for a tiebreak.
For Nxled and Farm Fresh, both of which possess identical 2-5 cards and identical 6 points, the two will have to kick the other out of contention in their upcoming match on April 9, Tuesday.
And whoever comes out on top will have to face a contender or two in the remaining games, with the Chameleons slated to collide with Creamline, Capital1, and Petro Gazz; and Farm Fresh scheduled to take on Galeries Tower, SGA, and Choco Mucho.
As nine teams continue to duke it out, who do you think will secure the coveted spots?