Pocari repels gutsy BaliPure
Keeps PVL lead, may lose Pablo
Games tomorrow 10 a.m. – Cignal vs Air Force (men’s) 1 p.m. – Power Smashers vs Perlas (women’s) 4 p.m. – Air Force vs BaliPure 6:30 p.m. – Pocari Sweat vs Creamline
Streaking Pocari Sweat bucked ace hitter Myla Pablo’s early exit due to injury and fought back from two sets down with strong finishing kicks in the next three to stun BaliPure, 18-25, 21-25, 26-24, 27-25, 15-13, and firm up its hold of the lead in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.
The imports finally suited up after FIVB cleared all reinforcements with their ITCs (International Transfer Certificates) Wednesday night and they dominated the match marked by crisp hits and solid blocking with Pocari’s Michelle Strizak coming through with a powerful spike off a superb receive to finish off the Water Defenders in two hours.
Pocari thus avenged its straight-set loss to BaliPure the first time out and stretched its amazing win run to six after dropping its first two games, solidifying its hold of the lead heading to the final stretch of the double round elims of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
The Water Defenders dropped to 4-2 but remained in second, their bid for a repeat fizzling out with wavering finishes in the last three sets.
Pablo, who has been nursing back spasms since Pocari’s third game, aggravated her injury after a power-packed hit, her lone point forcing an 11-all count in the second frame. She grimaced in pain after landing before she was carried off the court and rushed to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center early in the third set.
“I was satisfied with their effort from the fourth set going to the fifth because they didn’t let up. It was Edina’s blocking that helped us in the fourth set. I told them that if they had that same effort earlier, it would have been easier for us,” said Pocari Sweat head coach Rommel Abella.
After yielding the first set and faltering at the end of the second frame, the Lady Warriors buckled down to work, shattering a 24-all count in the third on a block by Jeanette Panaga and a miscue by Water Defenders’ Grethcel Soltones to extend the match.
The reigning titlists then turned a 13-21 deficit in the fourth into a thrilling finish behind imports Edina Selimovic and Strizak then Pocari leaned again on their two reinforcements to steal the decider.
Selimovic denied an attempt by American middle hitter Jennifer Keddy to shove Pocari Sweat to match point while Strizak scored on a kill to seal the match after a BaliPure save on a service error by Shola Alvarez.