PLDT went full speed ahead trying to put Gerflor away in the shortest possible time but hit some bumps in the third and settled for a 25-8, 25-9, 25-17 victory, its fourth straight as it moved to solo third in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino elims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Saturday.
The High Speed Hitters crushed the Defenders with relentless hitting, blocking, and loaded serves in the first two sets but virtually slowed down in the third and came up short of limiting their opponents to single-digit outputs all game.
Still, it was a lopsided win, taking PLDT just 63 minutes to dispatch the Defenders and stretch its win run after dropping a four-set setback to Cignal at the start of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision last Oct. 15.
Their hot start was in stark contrast to their struggle against the Nxled Chameleons in the early going of their match last Thursday which saw the latter steal the opening set before the High Speed Hitters recovered and took the next three in convincing fashions.
“Lessons learned sa slow start namin against Nxled. At least nakabawi naman kami today (yesterday),” said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort whose wards thus closed in on leaders Creamline and Petro Gazz, which tote identical 4-0 slates. “Maganda din ang services, so medyo dumali ang trabaho namin sa counter-attacks.”
It wasn’t just easy but a stroll as the High Speed Hitters scored almost at will in the first two sets against a Gerflor side that could not seem to get their game going, both in offense and in defense.
Though the Defenders put up a tougher stand in the third, keeping it close in the early going, they failed to keep in step when the High Speed Hitters stepped on the gas and broke away from a 9-all count with four straight points sparked by a Savi Davison blast.
The Fil-Canadian finished with nine points and yielded the scoring honors to Jules Samonte and Rachel Austero, who anchored PLDT’s blistering attacks in the first two sets and matched 10-point outputs. Fiola Ceballos also shone with eight points while Luth Malaluan and Jessey de Leon each scored six markers as Ricafort drew at least one point from the 12 players he had fielded outside of liberos Kath Arado and Nieza Viray.
Rhea Dimaculangan’s effortless ball distribution also netted the seasoned playmaker 18 excellent sets, 15 more than counterpart Lhara Clavano, while PLDT blasted Gerflor’s defense with 45 power attacks, 25 more than the Defenders.
The High Speed Hitters also produced six kill blocks against their rivals’ one while feasting on the Defenders’ sloppy reception to score 14 aces.
So lacking in firepower were the Defenders that Danika Gendrauli, Jeanette Villareal, and Grace Berte’s four-point efforts each proved to be the team’s leading scores with Satriani Espiritu and Menchie Tubiera finishing with three markers apiece. Gerflor fell to 0-5.
