Pocari-Air Force leaned on its experience and game smarts and pounced on the young BaliPure-National U’s miscues in the stretch to pound out a 27-29, 25-20, 25-19, 24-26, 15-13 decision yesterday and wheel back into semifinal contention in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
The Lady Warriors blew a three-point lead in the fourth but battled back from five down to force the decider which they controlled with less attack efforts as the Water Defenders cracked under pressure and practically yielded the set and the match on a string of errors.
BaliPure actually charged back from three down to force a 13-all count in the fifth but Pocari took the next two points on a Mhicaela Belen attack error and a botched offensive thrust for the crucial free ball that set up Madeline Palmer for a vicious match-clinching spike.
The defending champions thus bounced back from a previous three-set setback to the BanKo-Perlas Spikers to improve to 3-1 while dampening the Water Defenders’ own bid for one of the last two berths in the Final Four of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
BalIPure, which showed so much spunk in pulling off a thrilling victory in an extended first set, slid to 1-2 with two playdates left in the singles round quarters phase.
Myla Pablo hammered in 22 hits, including 17 kills and four blocks, while Palmer finished with 21 markers and fellow import Arielle Love added 14 for the Lady Warriors.
High schooler Joyme Cagande of BaliPure came up with another impressive 54-excellent set effort but Pocari’s veteran playmaker Wendy Semana, who had eight less excellent sets took the win as the Lady Warriors proved steadier in a pressure-ending ending to a back-and-forth showdown between two semis contenders.
Pocari’s victory likewise put to naught Janisa Johnson’s 35-hit game for BaliPure, which also drew 19 markers from Alexis Matthews and a combined 38-point game from Roselyn Doria, Faith Nisperso and Belen.
Earlier, Air Force checked a third-set meltdown with a gritty finish in the fourth, hacking out a 25-19, 25-19, 17-25, 25-22 victory over Instituto Estetico Manila to advance to the semifinals in men’s division.
Bryan Bagunas debuted for Air Force with 15 points and seven excellent receptions while Fauzi Ismail and Ranran Abdilla combined for 26 hits for the Jet Spikers, who joined early qualifiers Cignal and newcomer Vice Co and PLDT Home Fibr in the Final Four.
Air Force and PLDT, which swept its first two games in the quarters, dispute the semis seeding on Saturday.