PLDT pulled away midway in the decider, coming through with a blend of hits and cashing in on Petro Gazz’s miscues as the High Speed Hitters eked out a come-from-behind 16-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-15, 15-7 victory over the Angels to clinch fifth place in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Tuesday night.
Savi Davison presided over the High Speed Hitters’ assault in the fifth, pumping in three of the team’s first five points against the Angels’ two while Royse Tubino and Mika Reyes stepped up midway through to help turn what had seemed to be a tightly contested match into a decisive triumph in one hour and 55 minutes.
PLDT thus finished with a 7-4 record while relegating Petro Gazz, which finished second to Creamline in the first All-Filipino Conference last March, to sixth with a 6-5 card.
“Regardless sa naging result, yung mindset namin ay mag-progress at mag-improve,” said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort. “Yun naman talaga since hindi nga namin inabot yung semis, but okay naman kami lalo for Sav na mabigyan siya ng opportunity.”
“From time to time na tinatanong ako about sa playing minutes niya, ang take ko lang dapat niyang ma-feel yung competition dito eh. Na-experience naman niya, hopefully madala at makapagadjust siya for next conference para mas makagalaw siya nang maayos,” added Ricafort, referring to their Fil-Canadian star.
The two teams clashed for No. 5 after getting booted out from the semis race following Cignal’s victory over Gerflor earlier, trading lopsided wins in the first two sets with the Angels wresting control early to earn an easy nine-point win in the opening frame and the High Speed Hitters striking back in the next with their equally-imposing eight-point romp.
But they slugged it out spike-for-spike, block-for-block and dig-for-dig in the pivotal set with the Angels emerging on top behind a strong finishing kick behind KC Galdones, Nicole Tiamzon, Marian Buitre and Dzi Gervacio.
Like in the second set, however, the High Speed Hitters controlled the fourth early, 12-6, and went on to fashion out the 10-point win and force a deciding set, providing a fitting conclusion to an elims marked by surprises and heartbreakers.
The Angels fought back from three points down early in the fifth and threatened at 6-7 on a Buitre baseline hit. But the former UP standout served into the net in the ensuing play, helping the High Speed Hitters regain control as Reyes foiled Jonah Sabete’s assault and Tubino scored an ace before Davison capped PLDT’s four-point binge with a drop-ball for an 11-6 PLDT lead.
The Angels never recovered from big PLDT surge as the High Speed Hitters scored four of the last five points, including a Jules Samonte kill, a Reyes hit and another off-speed hit from Davison, with Sabete’s wide attack handing the win for PLDT.
Davison marked her farewell game with 29 points, including 26 on attacks, while Samonte finished with 11 markers and Fiola Ceballos added 10 points in a three-set appearance. Tubino and Reyes ended up with similar six points.
Sabete topscored for Petro Gazz with 17 points but the high-leaping power hitter struggled and ended up scoreless in the fifth with a mishit, a foiled attack and an errant assault. Buitre added 14 points while Tiamzon and Galdones had 13 and 11 points, respectively.
