The race for the coveted Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference trophy heats up on Thursday, Aug. 29, as four teams battle for final berths at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Unbeaten Akari clashes with fourth seed PLDT in the 4 p.m. opener before fan favorite Creamline collides with No. 2 Cignal in the 6 p.m. nightcap that promises another nail-biting action.

There is no time for rest as far as PLDT and Creamline are concerned as they are coming off from contrasting quarterfinal matches against their respective rivals on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

The High Speed Hitters turned back the feisty Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-23, 25-27, 15-25, 25-18, 15-9, while the Cool Smashers hammered out a vengeful 25-23, 25-19, 25-18 triumph over two-time Reinforced Conference champions Petro Gazz Angels.

But they are taking this short respite as an opportunity to keep their adrenaline and momentum going as they will be facing opponents hungry for breakthrough titles in the league.

Young and eager to prove themselves, Akari remains a force to reckon with as it seeks to extend its dominance in the league after winning its last nine games including against Farm Fresh, 17-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23, in the quarters.

But the wards of Japanese coach Taka Minowa headed by import Oly Okaro, Grethcel Soltones and Ivy Victoria are expected to keep their guards down against PLDT’s own trio in Elena Samoilenko, Majoy Baron and Fiola Ceballos.

“Our unbeaten record would mean nothing if we don’t get the championship,” said Okaro.

In the other pairing, Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses said they are taking it one step at a time to redeem themselves from a third-place finish in the last Reinforced Conference two years ago.

“Target namin yung redemption after namin mag-third nung 2022. So kailangan bawat puntos paghirapan,” Meneses said.

Though the absence of their high-scoring players Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and Alyssa Valdez remains a big blow, the Cool Smashers continue to showcase their depth with Bernadeth Pons, Michele Gumabao and Erica Staunton leading their charge.

Cignal, meanwhile, is determined to make it to the finals with hopes of eclipsing its runner-up finish two years back.

Delos Santos acknowledged the significant impact of the imports, not just in elevating the level of play in the league but also in inspiring and improving the local players’ games.

“Every team has raised their level of performance this conference,” said Delos Santos, who expressed confidence in his team, particularly in import MJ Perez and locals like Ces Molina, Riri Meneses, Chin Basas, Gel Cayuna and middle blocker Jackie Acuña.