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Coaches see even playing field in PVL's Reinforced Conference

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/04/18/pvl_041817.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Coaches Jasper Jimenez, Nestor Pamilar, Roger Gorayeb, team manager Karla Bello, coach Rommel Abella, and team manager Sherwin Malonzo.<cite>Handout photo</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – Pocari Sweat may be the defending champion, but every team is a force to be reckoned with when the Reinforced Conference of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opens on April 30 at the FilOil Flying V Centre.The Lady Warriors will be battling five other teams – Air Force, the Power Smashers, Bali Pure, and newcomers Creamline and Perlas Spikers – in a bid to retain the crown that they won last year.However, during Tuesday&#x27;s press conference at the 9501 Restaurant in ABS-CBN, only Creamline assistant coach Oliver Almadro named Pocari Sweat as the team to beat in the upcoming competition.&quot;Well, they are the defending champions,&quot; said Almadro, whose Creamline team will be coached by Tai Bundit and bannered by Alyssa Valdez.Bali Pure, now being mentored by Roger Gorayeb, said it is too early for him to make a pronouncement on which team is the strongest.&quot;Equal footing pa siguro,&quot; said Gorayeb, whose Bali Pure squad will lean on Grethcel Soltones, Aiko Urdas, and Jasmine Nabor.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/volleyball/news/2017/04/03/tan-villanueva-win-bvr-leg-ust-golden-pair-champs-anew-24148">READ: Tan and Villanueva win BVR leg; UST golden pair champs anew</a></li></ul>For Air Force coach Jasper Jimenez, the presence of powerful imports helped in leveling the playing field. The Lady Jet Spikers did not have a foreign player in last year&#x27;s Reinforced Conference, but this time around, they tapped the services of Thailand&#x27;s Patcharee Saengmuan.&quot;Lahat naman malakas ang team,&quot; said Jimenez. &quot;Expect natin &#x27;yan kasi Reinforced (Conference), and talagang nag-reinforce ang bawat team.&quot;[Every team is strong. We should expect that in the Reinforced Conference, all teams reinforced their rosters.]Perlas team manager Bea Tan acknowledged that there is an even playing field in the PVL, but also expressed her confidence in their squad.&quot;We want to believe that we&#x27;re the team to beat,&quot; said Tan, whose Perlas Spikers team is composed of Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) standouts, including Dzi Gervacio and Ella de Jesus. Rupia Inck and Kaylee Manns will serve as their imports.Pocari coach Rommel Abella agreed that &quot;everybody is the team to beat,&quot; and admitted that the pressure on them has lessened as they are not universally considered as the favorites.&quot;Medyo na-relieve &#x27;yung kaunting stress,&quot; he said.&quot;Kahit we&#x27;re the defending champion, we treat each other equally naman,&quot; he added. &quot;Ang preparation namin for each team is same pa rin. We&#x27;re going to take it one game at a time. &#x27;Yun ang gagawin namin for this tournament.&quot;[We feel relieved. Even though we&#x27;re the defending champion, we treat each team equally, and our preparation for each team is the same. We&#x27;re going to take it one game at a time. That&#x27;s our mindset for this tournament.]Pocari featured a pair of powerful imports last season in Bre Mackie and Andrea Kacsits, but neither will be returning for their title defense. Instead, the Lady Warriors have tapped Michelle Strizak and Edina Selimovic.The PVL&#x27;s Reinforced Conference opens with a triple-header on April 30, with Bali Pure taking on Air Force at 2 p.m., the Power Smashers testing Pocari Sweat at 4 p.m., and Creamline and Perlas debuting against each other at 6 p.m.PVL games will be held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Pocari Sweat may be the defending champion, but every team is a force to be reckoned with when the Reinforced Conference of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opens on April 30 at the FilOil Flying V Centre.

Pocari Sweat may be the defending champion, but every team is a force to be reckoned with when the Reinforced Conference of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opens on April 30 at the FilOil Flying V Centre.

Coaches see even playing field in PVL's Reinforced Conference

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Coaches see even playing field in PVL's Reinforced Conference

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 18, 2017 10:13 PM PHT

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Premier Volleyball League

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