PETRON and Foton start trekking the road to redemption as they take on separate foes in the Chooks-to-Go Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix today at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.
Petron and Foton, both former champions of the import-flavored conference with the Blaze Spikers winning the 2014 edition and the Tornadoes dominating in 2015 and 2016, are seeking to regain the lost glory after failing last year.
The Blaze Spikers will be licking their wounds from a 20-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18 Game 3 Finals loss to F2 Logistics last December and will open a brand-new campaign against Generika-Ayala at 4 p.m.
Petron won Game One of the finals in dominant fashion, 25-14, 25-21, 25-16, but allowed F2 Logistics to turn the tables around and snatch the championship.
Now, Petron Head Coach Shaq de los Santos said they have moved on and reassessed themselves as they try once more to win the crown.
“Definitely, we’re going to bounce back. That Finals lost really hurt us,” de los Santos said.
The Blaze Spikers are parading this season the same core, led by American imports Lindsay Stalzer and Hillary Hurley, as well as Japanese Yuri Fukuda with a strong local support from Mika Reyes, Ces Molina, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Rhea Dimaculangan.
They will be facing Generika-Ayala now coached by Sherwin Meneses of Ateneo, who will have imports Darlene Ramdin and Symone Hayden, who replaced injured Katarina Pilepic.
Foton also has a new coach, Rommel Abella, and a new set of imports—Brooke Kanda, Elizabeth Wendel and Katarina Vukamanovic of Serbia when it takes on Sta. Lucia in the 2 p.m. curtain raiser.
Foton lost its bid for a third straight crown at the hands of Petron in a semifinal duel. And the Tornadoes will miss Jaja Santiago, who is playing her final season with National University in the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 80 tournament.
But Abella, who replaced Serbian Moro Branislav, has an intact local roster composed of Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Maika Ortiz, Gen Casugod, Mina Aganon, libero Jen Reyes and setter Gyzelle Sy, when they face Sta. Lucia, which will lean on Bohdana Anisova of Ukraine and Kristen Moncks and Marisa Field of Canada.
The Lady Realtors are handled by George Pascua this time.