Choco Mucho and Akari try to duplicate their recent victories against separate opponents as they gun for the first two semifinal berths on Thursday, March 20, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The Flying Titans battle the PLDT High Speed Hitters at 4 p.m., while the Chargers tangle with the Galeries Tower Highrisers at 6:30 p.m. in Game 2 of their respective best-of-three quarterfinals series that promises another nail-biting action just like the last one.

Both Choco Mucho and Akari remain guarded of their rivals after coming off hard-earned five-set victories in Game 1 last Saturday, March 15, particularly the Flying Titans, who dug deep from a two-set deficit before snaring the crucial win.

Sisi Rondina remains the Flying Titans’ sparkplug after a 31-point explosion the last time, but coach Dante Alinsunurin believed in their bench depth, which was evident in their dramatic victory a week ago.

Among those who stood out in Game 1 was Mars Alba, who subbed for Deanna Wong in the third set and went on to deliver a 16-excellent set performance along with three points that orchestrated the comeback with composure and precision.

But expect PLDT to make key adjustments this time, as its 13-block production was still not enough in stopping Choco Mucho’s fiery offense.

Out to lead the High Speed Hitters are Savid Davison and Fiola Ceballos, along with Erika Santos and Majoy Baron.

The same holds true for both Akari and Galeries Tower, with the Chargers expected to draw strength from Ivy Lacsina anew after dropping 28 points in Game 1.

Still, Akari cannot afford to be complacent after Galeries Tower showed grit with a 2-1 set lead spearheaded by all-around trio Jewel Encarnacion, France Ronquillo and Ysa Jimenez.

“We can’t afford to slow down just because we won Game 1. The job’s not done until we achieve our ultimate goal,” said Lacsina in Filipino.

Our coaches reminded us that despite the loss, we still pushed the game to five sets. We can’t let disappointment take over. We need to focus on the next game and fight for another chance,” Encarnacion added in Filipino.

Game 3, if necessary, is scheduled either on Tuesday, March 25, or Thursday, March 27.