PetroGazz scores first victory

Games Wednesday (The Arena, San Juan City) 1 p.m. – IEM vs Vice Co (m) 4 p.m. – BaliPure vs BanKo-Perlas (w) 6:30 p.m. – Iriga-Navy vs Pocari-Air Force (w)

Newcomer PetroGazz turned back BanKoPerlas, 15-25, 18-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-9, yesterday to score its first win in the 2018 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Batangas City Sports Complex.

The Angels rose from a two-set deficit to improve their win-loss tally to 1-2.

Ukrainian import Anastasia Trach and Estonian Kadi Kullerkann anchored PetroGazz particularly in the third set where it erased a 1612 with a 13-2 run.

The Angels rode the momentum to take the next two sets.

BanKo-Perlas absorbed its third loss against a lone win.

In the men’s division, PLDT turned to hardhitting spiker Mark Alfafara to turn back defending champion Cignal, 25-20, 26-24, 26-28, 25-23.

Alfafara, a former University of Santo Tomas standout and member of the national team, scored 29 points, including 26 attacks to give the PLDT Spikers their first victory in three outings.

Agitated to get back on track after five-set defeats from Air Force and Instituto Estetico Manila, PLDT made sure to close out the match in its favor by refusing to lose composure in the crunch.

John Vic De Guzman, another national team stalwart, also fueled the PLDT Spikers, firing 19 hits to finish with 21 points.

It was a morale-boosting victory for PLDT against Cignal which boasts of a strong offensive lineup anchored on former UAAP five-time Most Valuable Player Marck Espejo and veteran Isay Marasigan. —