LADY WARRIORS REPEL PERLAS SPIKERS, CLOSE IN ON THIRD

POCARI-Air Force bucked the absence of local ace Myla Pablo and turned back BanKo-Perlas, 25-22, 17-25, 16-25, 26-24, 15-11, to zero in on third place honors in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the MOA Arena in Pasay on Sunday.

Maddie Palmer unloaded 22 attack points, the last three giving the Lady Warriors a 12-9 cushion

over with back-to-back

hits and

- lying Perlas Spikers with a dump at the start of their best-of-three series for third in the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.

Palmer also delivered two aces for a 24- hit output while Love and a slew of locals also stepped up for the dethroned champions, who lost Pablo to injury before the start of their sudden death for the

Cool Smashers last Friday.

But the Lady Warriors still lived up to their name, fighting back from 1-2 set down and recovering from a late fourth-set meltdown

steal the victory from the Spikers. “We’re disappointed of not be-

we stayed focused on this game,” said Palmer.

Pocari nearly blew a 24-21 edge in the fourth as BanKo-Perlas, with Kia Bright on the attack, scored three straight points to extend the match. But an Amy Ahomiro service error and a Del Palomata quick hit sent the match into a

The Lady Warriors came up with back-to-back kill blocks off Bright to take early control in the decider, padded their lead to 9-5 on a Kasilag ace then withstood the Spikers’

put them back within one.

But Palmer hammered in three hits against Jutarat Montripila’s offthe-block point and Love scored on a kill and a push to neutralize Ahomiro’s two points before Kasilag came through with that dink after a brief rally to complete their come-from-behind triumph.

They go for the clincher on Wednesday, also at the MOA Arena.

GAMES WEDNESDAY (MOA Arena)

10 a. m. – PLDT (men’s – for third)

1:45 p.m. – Pocari-Air Force vs BanKo-Perlas (women’s – for 3rd)

3:45 p.m. – Creamline vs PayMaya (women’s – for crown)

6 p. m. – Cignal vs Air Force (men’s – for crown) vs Vice Co

Creamline’s Michelle Gumabao sneaks in a hit against PayMaya’s Celine Domingo and Jasmine Nabor during the opener of their title series in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the MOA Arena.