Army, Air Force tossers try to boost Last 4 bids

THE Army and the Air Force aim for repeat wins over their respective opponents today that would shore up their campaigns for the semifinals in the Shakey’s V-League Season 10 Open Conference at the Arena in San Juan City.

The Army Women swept the Philippine National Police (PNP) Patrollers in their elimination round showdown last Sept. 3 and went on to finish second to the unbeaten Cagayan Province Rising Suns (7-0) with a 6-1 slate in the carryover quarters.

Another win over PNP in their 2 p.m. showdown will firm up Army’s hold of the No. 2 spot in the single round phase among six teams.

The Patrollers, who nipped the Navy Sailors in four for the last quarters berth last Friday, are hard-pressed to score wins in bunches with a 2-5 carryover card.

The Air Women also posted a three-set win over the then undermanned Smart Maynilad Net Spikers last Sept. 6 that highlighted the team’s impressive five-win binge after dropping their first two matches in the season-ending conference of the league.

But with ace hitter Alyssa Valdez and Thai reinforcement Lithawat Kesinee now back for Smart-Maynilad, the Net Spikers are raring to get back at the Air Women and bolster their own 4-3 record for a crack at one of the semifinal berths.

The top four teams after another single round quarters phase will advance to the semis, a crossover stage with the No. 1 team clashing with the No. 4 squad and the Nos. 2 and 3 teams disputing the other finals berth in a pair of best-of-three series, according to the organizer, Sports Vision.

The championship and the battle for third will also be a pair of best-of-three affairs. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio