Foton downs Cocolife

Two-time defending champion Foton recovered from a flat start through its rejuvenated net defense to foil Cocolife last night, 20-25, 25-17, 28-26, 25-18, and gain a share of the lead in the Chooks-to-Go Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix at The Arena in San Juan City.

Serbian import Sara Klisura bannered their vaunted attack with 17 hits and even stood tall on the defensive end with five of the Tornadoes’ 15 kill blocks that spelled the big difference in overcoming a tough Asset Managers’ side.

The hard-earned victory, carved out in one hour and 52 minutes, came on the heels of its similar four-set win over contender Cignal last week, enabling Foton to momentarily join powerhouse Petron atop the nine-team field with similar 2-0 cards.

The Blaze Spikers can regain the solo lead with a third straight victory at the expense of the HD Spikers which is being played as of press time.

Towering spiker Jaja Santiago, the MVP winner in last year’s edition of the season-ending tournament, fired away 21 points, 16 of them off hits highlighted by the game-clinching wallop, while Montenegrin Dragana Perunicnic added 14 points to help the Tornadoes’ cause.

The opening ceremonies held before the game were graced by legendary three-time Olympic gold medalist and US women’s volleyball team coach Karch Kiraly, who declared his faith on the Filipino brand of volleyball.