Hunger will be a major factor when the Petron Blaze Spikers and the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers kick off their Chooks-to-Go/Philippine Superliga Grand Prix best-of-three title series tomorrow at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Game One is set at 7 pm, following the bronze medal match between the Cocolife Asset Managers and Foton Tornadoes in the 4:15 pm tilt.
After slicing through the eliminations with a commanding 7-1 win-loss card, both the Blaze Spikers and Cargo Movers crushed their respective foes in the quarterfinals, before emerging victorious in the semifinals to book a finals duel for the second time this year.
Petron went through the wringer before pulling off a 30-28, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 victory over defending champions Foton, while F2 Logistics creamed Cocolife, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17, in the semifinals over the weekend at Mall of Asia Arena.
This will be the fourth consecutive time that the Blaze Spikers to advance to the finals of the season-ending conference, while the Cargo Movers are on a quest to win their first Grand Prix crown since joining the league last year.
Although they won the prestigious title in 2014 with American spiker Alaina Bergsma and Brazilian playmaker Erica Adachi at the helm, Petron coach Shaq Delos Santos stressed that they are very hungry to regain the crown.
“Sobrang happy kami and yung eagerness din kasi ng team namin. Sobrang gustung-gusto namin talagang ma-beat sila, kasi syempre gusto namin ng championship,” said Delos Santos, who had been part of George Pascua’s coaching staff when the Blaze Spikers ruled the Grand Prix three years ago.
“Ako personally, gustong-gusto kong mag-champion.”
Delos Santos noted that they had suffered a crushing four-set loss to the Cargo Movers in their lone encounter this conference, 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 19-25.
In that match held at the University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod City, F2 Logistics were still a mystery, as they had just been making their debut after missing the league’s first two weeks due to the University Games in Dumaguete City.
“Nakilala namin yung team namin kung nasaan na kami before, that time nung natalo kami,” said Delos Santos, adding that they had no answer to the power of imports Maria Jose Perez and Kennedy Bryan during their first encounter. “Nakita namin na mas kailangan pa namin ng bonding, yung communication sa isa’t isa. Ang dami kaya sobrang thankful kami sa nangyari.
“May purpose talaga kung bakit nangyari yun.”
But Petron are not the only team looking to satisfy their thirst for the crown.
F2 Logistics head coach Ramil de Jesus had already conquered the UAAP after winning 10 titles with the De La Salle University, and he also took the PSL All-Filipino Conference after reigning supreme last year.
The Grand Prix, however, is a different story.
“Hindi naman pressure na magchampion. Unti unti basta paghandaan lang yung mga susunod na game kung ano man yun,” said de Jesus, who has never won the Grand Prix crown.
“Ngayon na finals na kami hindi naman lahat ng teams mabibigyan ng chance na makapasok sa ganitong finals so kami yung nabigyan ng chance so dapat kung nandito na i-grab na yung opportunity at paghandaan mabuti kasi minsan lang ito.”
