Games Saturday

(Quezon Convention Center)

2 p.m. – Bacoor vs Negros

4 p.m. – Quezon vs Caloocan

Quezon Tangerines host AM Caloocan Air Force while Bacoor Strikers and ICC Negros Lady Blue Hawks clash as the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) Season 1 goes south in Lucena for an interesting double-header Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Quezon Convention Center.

Game time is at 4 p.m. with the Tangerines wanting no let-up against the lowly Air Force Spikers to strengthen grip of the No. 1 seed midway through the second round after the duel between the Strikers and Lady Blue Hawks at 2 p.m.

Quezon, one of the two expansion squads in the nine-team upstart league founded by former Senator and MPBL chairman Manny Pacquiao, enjoys the mountaintop at 10-1 with its lone loss coming against the fourth-running Biñan (6-5).

The Tangerines since then were quick to get back on track with an easy win over Valenzuela Classy and there is no stopping even against Caloocan – especially with Rizal St. Gerrard Foundation (10-3) just riding on their coattails for the top spot.

Quezon swept Caloocan in the first round but the latter is out for some measure of vengeance in a bid to crack the Top 4 despite a homecourt disadvantage.

The AM Spikers, at 5-5, are currently knocking just behind Biñan for the coveted fourth and last semifinal spot of the MPVA backed by Extreme One-Stop Shop Appliances, ASICS, Mikasa and Gerflor with MPTV and Outcomm as broadcast partners.

Then there’s Bacoor, running at third with an 8-2 slate, in a bid to catch up with leaders Quezon and Rizal for the Top Two seeds gaining twice-to-beat incentives in the semis.

The Strikers, who ruled the inaugural but shorter MPVA edition before the full home-and-away season this year, came off a five-setter win against Biñan while Negros bowed to Rizal last week.

The MPVA, organized by the Volleyball Masters of the Philippines, will stay in Quezon until Sunday featuring duels between winless Marikina against Biñan and Quezon anew against Rizal.