HD Spikers play Lady Troopers in PVL kickoff

MANILA, Philippines — Rachel Anne Daquis knows they would need to stay healthy for her team Cignal HD to have a chance at winning it all in the PVL Invitational Conference that unwraps today at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

The HD Spikers open their campaign versus the Army Black Mamba Lady Troopers in the 2:30 p.m. curtain-raiser.

Daquis knows by heart how bitter it was to come a point shy of making the finals in the Open Conference last April after losing to Petro Gazz.

Daquis battled cramps in the critical moments of Game 3 and teammate Riri Meneses endured knee pains in that series.

Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos said there’s no room to relax in this short nine-team tourney that drew two foreign squads in Japan’s Kobe Shinwa U and Chinese Taipei’s King Whales. The other local clubs seeing action are Creamline, Petro Gazz, PLDT Home Fibr, Choco Mucho and last year’s Open Conference titlist Chery Tiggo.