Perlas Spikers stop Warriors, zero in on PVL semis
BanKo-Perlas came out in fierce form in the first two sets then turned fiercer in the third, battling back from five points down to complete a 25-19, 25-14, 25-22 victory over Pocari Sweet-Air Force and bolster its semifinal drive in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan last night.
Kia Bright unloaded a 19-hit game, including 17 on attack points, as she spearheaded the Perlas Spikers’ charge in the early going and anchored the team’s fightback in the third, including a vicious kill that tied the count at 22.
After a key Sue Roces spike, Bright hammered in a back-row attack then came up with a dig that kept the ball alive and led to a Pocari error for the victory.
With a 2-0 card, BanKoPerlas grabbed the solo lead in the single round quarters phase while dropping erstwhile pacesetter Pocari to second at 2-1.
Pocari appeared headed to extending the match after storming to a 20-15 lead in the third frame. But after a huddle to break the Lady Warriors’ momentum, the Perlas Spikers strung up six straight hits to grab the lead and took control after two deadlocks on their way to victory, actually their fourth counting the two in the elims.
Earlier, Iriga-Navy snapped a long losing skid the hard way but its scrambling 25-9, 21-25, 26-28, 25-21, 1513 decision over Tacloban revived its flickering hopes in the quarterfinal round.
Later in the night, Petro Gazz silenced BaliPure-National University, 2523, 25-18, 25-14, for a tie at second with Pocari Sweat-Air Force at 2-1.