BaliPure hopes to ride the momentum of its back-to-back victories as it guns for a share of the lead with idle PayMaya against a slumping BanKo-Perlas in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference back at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today.
The Water Defenders bounced back from an opening game setback with back-to-back victories upon import Janisa Johnson’s arrival with the reigning Open Conference champions looking to sustain their run in their 4 p.m. encounter with the Perlas Spikers.
BanKo-Perlas actually pulled off a shock five-set win over fancied Creamline to kick off its campaign in the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision but dropped its next three, including a five-set defeat to erstwhile winless PetroGazz last Sunday.
With Johnson expected to further raise the level of her game and inspire the rest of the Water Defenders, including their high school players from Nazareth School of National University, led by Faith Nisperos and setter/skipper Joyme Cagande, the Perlas Spikers will have to double their effort in a bid to check their skid and get back into contention in the short single round eliminations of the tournament backed by Asics and Mikasa.
Defending champion Pocari-Air Force and Iriga-Navy, meanwhile, seek to rebound from a pair of four-set defeats the last time out as they tangle in the 6:30 p.m. main match.
The Lady Warriors succumbed to the Cool Smashers in a key match in Batangas last Sunday and dropped to sixth place at 1-2 while the Lady Oragons slipped to 1-1 after bowing to the surging PayMaya side last Saturday.
Meanwhile, hot-starting Instituto Estetico Manila shoots for its third straight win as it faces Vice Co. in the lone men’s division match at 10 a.m.
The IEM hitters toppled Army in four then nipped PLDT in a thrilling five-setter to pace the six-team field. Newcomer Vice Co., meanwhile, fell to Cignal in four after a surprising 3-1 victory over Army in the opening day