BLAZING VICTORY
SWEEP or no sweep, it’s still very much “Mission accomplished!” for the Petron Blaze Spikers. Petron creamed bitter rival F2 Logistics, 25-22, 26-24, 25-23, in Game Three of their best-of-three showdown to retain the Philippine Superliga All Filipino Conference crown on Thursday night at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
Playmaker Rhea Dimaculangan was at her best elements in the do-or-die duel and ran away with the Most Valuable Player trophy, while Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Bernadeth Pons displayed firepower and finished with 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Blaze Spikers, who roused back on track after a four-set loss in Game Two.
“This is a great Christmas blessing,” Petron Coach Shaq de los Santos said. “Honestly, we really never thought of completing a sweep. We know how tough the competition is and winning all of our games will be very impossible.”
LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler was approached two months ago with a special request. A longtime season-ticket holder asked team president Gillian Zucker if he could call a game on television with Lawler and honor his 40 seasons with the club.
Lawler apprehensively said yes, until he found out it wasn’t just any season-ticket holder. It happens to be one that has hosted the Academy Awards nine times.
“So instead of eyeing a sweep, what we did was to prepare hard each day, give our best and respect our opponents,” he added moments after their title conquest in the tournament bankrolled by Isuzu, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Mueller, UCPB Gen and Bizooku with Genius Sports as technical sponsor.
De los Santos said their journey in the conference also supported by ESPN5, Hyper HD and Aksyon TV may have looked easy, but it took a lot of hard work and sacrifices before reaching the top—especially in the finals where the Cargo Movers pushed them to a do-or-die affair.
The pressure to sweep weighed down on the Blaze Spikers in Game Two and the result was a 25-21, 19-25, 20-25, 17-25 defeat.
But instead of fading, the Blaze Spikers went back to the drawing board and jot down the winning solution.
“I just told them to bring back the old fire that made Petron successful in the past, ”said de los Santos after capping a successful campaign of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) clubs this year following the victory of San Miguel Beer, Ginebra and Magnolia in the Philippine Basketball Association.
“We don’t have to be pressured. This is just volleyball. We have to play our normal game if we want to win the crown.”
Also instrumental in Petron’s rise were star middle Mika Reyes, Remy Palma, Ging Balse-Pabayo, Frances Molina, Pia Gaiser, Chloe Cortez, Angel Legacion, Sisi Rondina, Mela Tunay, Ria Duremdes and Jasmine Alcayde.
Assistant Coach Ian Fernandez was also credited for coming up with a solid scouting report on the Cargo Movers.
“This is a total team effort,” De los Santos said. “This victory will not be impossible without the support of the players, coaches, staff and, of course, the SMC management. We won’t be here without them.”
“This crown means a lot. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas for all of us.”