This one is for all the marbles!
This is it. Winner-take-all Game 3.
On one side, it's the Creamline Cool Smashers seeking to restart their grand slam campaign. Team captain Alyssa Valdez may have been sidelined but the five-time PVL champions look like they barely have any cracks. With only two losses in the conference, the pink squad is hungry for a fourth All-Filipino title.
On the other side, the Petro Gazz Angels have a chip on their shoulder. They have beaten the Cool Smashers for the championship in 2019. They have won the Reinforced Conference twice. These veterans want to prove they can take down Creamline with an All-Filipino lineup too. Plus, new coach Oliver Almadro likely wants redemption and that first title in the women's league.
Here's what to look out for in the winner-take-all Game 3.
A tale of errors
Net touch violations spelled Creamline's defeat in Game 1. But in four tight sets, the Cool Smashers committed 22 costly errors against the Angels. Game 2 was even rougher for both squads, with Creamline committing 27 errors while Petro Gazz had 26 in five sets. These squads will have to minimize those mistakes if they want to take the crown.
Where is the block?
For a team that ranked as the top blockers in the preliminaries, the Angels didn't have much of a wall in Game 2. Petro Gazz is in trouble if the likes of Michele Gumabao and Pangs Panaga can deliver kill blocks better than MJ Phillips and Remy Palma.
Guardians of the floor
Creamline is unstoppable when it comes to sheer firepower. That is already a given. In Game 2, the Cool Smashers have been especially masterful in finding the holes in the blocks and making the ball bounce between the hands of the Angels. Cienne Cruz and Jellie Tempiatura would need more help in keeping the ball alive for Petro Gazz.
The defending champions are also aces at the service line, notably with one Jia De Guzman. That means Petro Gazz would have to step up their reception game for a good first ball to even get any shot at a masterful set.
Game 3 of the PVL All-Filipino Conference finals will take place this Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena. You can watch the match live at 5:30 p.m. on One Sports and One Sports+.