‘Rubbers’ decide PVL title protagonists
MANILA - The chase for the final berths in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference comes down to a pair of rubber matches that could either go down-to-the-wire or via straight-set romps.
But given the strength and talent of the protagonists and the weight of the matches today (Friday), one can expect only the best from Creamline, Pocari-Air Force, PayMaya and BanKo-Perlas as they go for the coveted slots and crack at the championship at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
The Cool Smashers and the High Flyers seized the momentum with their Game Two wins but the Lady Warriors and the Perlas Spikers have the experience needed to bounce back from tough setbacks, guaranteeing a pair of explosive matches capping the semis phase of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
The top-seeded Creamline and No. 4 Pocari dispute the first finals slot at 1:45 p.m. while the No. 2 PayMaya and third ranked BanKo-Perlas collide at 3:45 p.m.
Creamline rebounded from its straight-set back to Pocari in Game One with a 25-16, 26-24, 22-25, 25-17 victory last Wednesday, putting the Cool Smashers’ drive for a breakthrough victory in the backed by Mikasa and Asics back on track.
Unlike in the series’ opener, top spiker Alyssa Valdez drew solid backup from the team’s other stalwarts, including Michelle Gumabao, who atoned for a five-point output in Game One with a top-scoring 18hit effort. Thai reinforcement Kuttika Kaewpin also scored 14 points after struggling for six and fellow import Laura Schaudt settled down from a measly one-hit game last Sunday with 10 points. PR