ILOILO CITY -- Already assured of a spot in post-season play with a superior tiebreak score, Petro Gazz still went for the win to formalize its Final Four stint while slamming the door shut on Chery Tiggo with a tough 25-21, 28-26, 25-21 victory before a wildly cheering crowd at the San Agustin Gymnasium here on Tuesday.
Close to 7,000 fans whooped it up on every converted kill, furious exchanges of hits, spectacular digs and saves, and power tips but saved the biggest roar when MJ Phillips delivered the clincher on a quick attack for the Angels, capping their domination of the Crossovers who came into the league’s first out-of-town match in the season needing no less than a three-set win to stay in the semis hunt.
But the Angels were in no mood to yield any, coming through with a strong finishing kick in the opening frame, surviving their beleaguered rivals’ frantic rally in the next then foiling another make-or-break bid by the Crossovers in the third.
Petro Gazz, runner-up to Creamline in this tournament, then the Open Conference, last year, thus closed out its elims campaign with a 6-2 mark and joined the defending champion (6-1) and the idle F2 Logistics (6-2) in the semis while giving PLDT a free ride to the Final Four of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
With a 5-2 slate, the High Speed Hitters seek to match the Angels and the Cargo Movers cards against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans at the close of the elims tomorrow back at the Philsports Arena. In case of ties, the rankings will be determined through the point and set ratio system.
A PLDT loss, however, will set up the Cool Smashers-High Speed Hitters and the Angels-Cargo Movers duels in the next phase, a best-of-three affair with the winners disputing the championship.
“We’re overwhelmed, sobrang laki ng crowd, lahat nag-effort para makapunta dito, so personally, ang mindset ko is to give back for the people here na, yung expectations nila to play our best, to do our best,” said Palma.
Grethcel Soltones continued to dish out top form heading to the crucial phase, coming away with 14 points while Aiza Pontillas put in a 13-point outing to the delight of her fellow Ilonggas. Palma put in a 12-hit game while Philipps and Jonah Sabete added 10 and seven points, respectively.
Cza Carandang and Mylene Paat scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for the Crossovers, who also drew eight points from EJ Laure, and four markers from Shaya Adorador, while Jaycel delos Reyes stepped up to fire seven points.
Chery Tiggo, which wound up with a 4-4 slate, actually edged Petro Gazz in spikes, 47-46, but the Angels scored eight kill blocks, three more than the Crossovers, and pounced on the latter’s sloppy service reception and made six aces, while yielding two of their own.
