A team hungry for its breakthrough title clashes with a squad intent on further cementing its dynasty as Cignal and Creamline begin their best-of-three championship series for the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference crown on Tuesday, April 21, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Match is at 5:30 p.m. with both sides eager to draw first blood in what promises to be a thrilling showdown, following the bronze medal affair between Farm Fresh and PLDT at 3 p.m.

The Super Spikers punched their ticket to the finals early, clinching the first berth with a four-set win over the Cool Smashers last week before absorbing a loss to PLDT in a non-bearing match.

Creamline, meanwhile, had to grind it out, surviving a do-or-die clash against Farm Fresh a few days later to secure a record 15th finals appearance.

Cignal has asserted its mastery over Creamline twice -- first with a five-set escape in their March 26 preliminary meeting, then again in the semis -- but the Super Spikers are all aware of the Cool Smashers’ wealth of championship experience.

They refuse to be intimidated as they draw confidence from the way they’ve navigated their rebuilding phase over the past two years to reach this stage.

Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos banner the core of Cignal as it hopes for a different outcome of its last finals meeting over Creamline -- a runner-up finish at the 2024 Invitational. Tin Tiamzon, Roselyn Doria and Gel Cayuna also provide ample reinforcements.

Like Cignal, Creamline also endured an uphill climb to get within reach of the summit, battling through multiple do-or-die matches in this conference.

But the Cool Smashers’ true strength lies in how they’ve thrived under those pressure-packed situations, with a veteran frontline composed of Bernadeth Pons, Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos and Jia De Guzman guiding the crew.