Petron bucks Set 4 slip, claims playoff top spot

Games today(Filoil Flying V Centre) 1 p.m. – Generika-Ayala vs Foton/ 3 p.m. – F2 Logistics vs Sta. Lucia 5 p.m. – PLDT vs Petron

Petron blew away a two-setsto-one lead but recovered in time to escape with a sweet 25-11, 20-25, 25-22, 25-27, 16-14 revenge win over rival Cignal HD and snatch the top spot in the Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference yesterday at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

High-flying ace spiker Sisi Rondina erupted for 33 points including 29 on attacks and four aces as the Blaze Spikers got back at the HD Spikers and secured the no. 1 spot in Pool C with a pristine 5-0 card.

Veteran hitter Aiza Maizo-Pontillas added 21 markers while Bernadeth Pons (8), Chloe Cortez (7) and captain Ces Molina (6) threw in key support for the Petron squad eager to reclaim the crown in this tourney after being dethroned by Cignal in the last All-Filipino conference.

“Coming into this game, we told ourselves that we need to do everything to get over that curse (from Cignal). And we did. We just did not give up. We did not surrender,” said Rondina as Petron shrugged off a massive meltdown in the fourth set to win the game.

“It always boils down to training. We just treat every training like a game and every game like a championship match,” added the ex-Santo Tomas standout who displayed another facet of her game with a serving clinic after tallying four blocks last game.