BaliPure edges Creamline, closes in on finals
BaliPure dominated the last two sets on efficient hitting and solid blocking and rallied from one set down to fashion out a 22-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-21 victory over Creamline last night to move a win closer to the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference Finals in San Juan.
The top seeded Water Defenders also pounced on the Cool Smashers’ sloppy reception late in the match with import Jennifer Keddy pounding out back-to-back aces to put BaliPure at match point at 24-17 at the Filoil Flying V Center.
No. 4 Creamline did fight back with four straight hits but Aiko Urdas bounce back from a blocked bid with a soft touch that dropped into the unguarded spot in the middle, ending the two-hour encounter in the opener of their best-of-three semifinal duel. The win thus kept Water Defenders’ season-long mastery over Cool Masters and put them on course for a fourth straight victory on Tuesday and a spot in the championship round. Second seed Power Smashers and No. 3 defending champion Pocari Sweat were disputing the other finals seat in their own best-of-three series at presstime. The Water Defenders struggled coming off a weeklong rest after clinching one of the two outright semis slots, losing steam in a tight opening set but bouncing back strong in the next three, including the last two where they finally imposed their might on the net with Keddy providing the big hits and the big blocks.
“We just focused on ourselves during the break. We practiced hard and got ready for the semis,” said Keddy, who finished with 24 hits, including 13 attack points and five kill blocks, “Everyone just got together and worked together, especially in blocking.” she added.
Risa Sato produced a solid 13hit output while Grethcel Soltones added 11 markers for BaliPure, which blasted in 50 attack points on Creamline.
The Water Defenders also slowed down Alyssa Valdez, who was held to 12 hits after norming in the 20s in the elims and quarters. Thai Kuttika Kaewpin topscored for the Cool Smashers with 16 points.
So tight was the match in the first two sets that no team led by as many as three with the Cool Smashers fighting back from 1921 down in the opening frame by winning the next five points to go up, 24-21, capped by Kuttika’s ace. Sato scored on a quick set to move the Water Defenders to within two but Laura Schaudt hammered in a kill at the back to clinch the set for the Cool Smashers.