PVL: BANKO SINORPRESA ANG ARMY, LUMAPIT SA 3RD PLACE

BUMAWI ang BanKo Perlas mula sa masamang performance sa second frame at sa two-set deficit upang gulantangin ang Pacific Town Army sa Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference kahapon sa FilOil Flying V Centre sa San Juan.

Nagpamalas ang Pearl Spikers ng pambihirang fighting spirit upang humabol sa third at fourth sets, pagkatapos ay naging matatag sa back-and-forth decider para sa 25-17, 10-25, 27-25, 26-24, 16-14 panalo.

Sa panalo ay lumapit ang Pearl Spikers sa bronze-medal finish.

“Kung mapapansin ninyo, come-from-behind lahat ng panalo. So, talagang patibayan ng loob,” wika ni BanKo captain Nicole Tiamzon, na pinangunahan ang pag­hahabol ng koponan na may 18 points.

Nagdagdag si Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim ng 15 points, 18 receptions, at 31 digs, habang pawang nagtala sina Dzi Gervacio (13), Sue Roces (11) at Kathy Bersola (11) ng double-digits.

Umiskor si American import Jeane Horton ng 8 points, kung saan nakakuha ang Pearl Spikers ng 23 free points mula sa errors ng Lady Troopers.

Olena Lymareva-Flink and Jovelyn Gonzaga forced an extension. A net touch called on Royse Tubino gave BanKo Perlas its second set point, but she made up for her error with an offspeed hit that tied the count at 25. The Pearl Spikers would not be denied, however, as Chuewulim checked a hit off the Army blockers, and Tiamzon pounced on an over-received ball to win the set.

Tumapos si Olena Lymareva-Flink na may 26 points,  habang nagdagdag si Royse Tubino ng 24 para sa  Lady Troopers.

Nakatakda ang Game 2 ng best-of-3 series sa Sabado sa parehong venue.

“Lahat ng school-based teams siguro malakas kasi buo na sila,” ani Banal. “One point against sa amin (club team), kasi kami papabuo pa lang, medyo may chemistry problem pa.”

“I think any team na ang line-up siguro ay veteran na sa D-League would be a strong team. And I can never count out ang CEU because of the program that they’ve build, regardless of who the coach or coaches were, very successful ‘yung program ng school,” ani De Vera, na kinokonsidera rin ang Marinero Pilipino na kabilang sa mga paborito.

“It’s going to be an interesting conference because of the diversity of the players and the coaches. And yung ages e, from college kids to veterans yung mag-lalaro against each other and together.”