BATANGAS CITY—RC Cola-Army and F2 Logistics crushed their respective foes to remain in control of the 2016 Philippine Superliga (PSL) All-Filipino Conference women’s volleyball tournament Tuesday at the Batangas City Coliseum here.
The Lady Troopers demolished Generika, 25-13, 27-25, 25-19, while the Cargo Movers dominated reigning champion Petron, 25-15, 19-25, 25-19, 25-9, in this prestigious club tourney bankrolled by KLab Cyscorpions, Mueller, Asics and Mikasa with TV5 as official broadcast partner.
It was RC Cola-Army and F2 Logistics’ sixth straight wins, sharing between them the lead and earning a truckload of confidence entering their blockbuster showdown on Saturday.
Rachel Anne Daquis knocked down 10 kills and a pair of blocks to finish with 13 points to go with the 13 hits of Jovelyn Gonzaga as the Lady Troopers came up with a strong start and an even stronger finish to clobber the Lifesavers in just 77 minutes.
For the Cargo Movers, rookie sensation Ara Galang led the charge with 12 points while Cha Cruz, Mika Reyes, Aby Marano and Kim Dy pouring in nine markers apiece.
“It’s still a very long way to go,” said F2 Logistics coach Ramil de Jesus, worried that his team might be peaking too soon. “We still need to do some more adjustments because other teams are out to get us. Petron will surely bounce back. And we have to be ready for that.”
During the crucial stretch of of the match that lasted 95 minutes, the Cargo Movers looked like legitimate championship contenders.
Kim Fajardo, arguably one of the country’s brightest playmakers today, did a tremendous job distributing the ball, leaving the Petron defense guessing, especially in the third and fourth sets.
Fajardo, who finished with 29 excellent sets, ignited a quick 16-7 rally entering the second technical timeout of the fourth set. They never looked back.
Aiza Maizo-Pontillas delivered 10 of her team-high 11 points on kills to lead Petron, which absorbed its second setback after losing to RC Cola-Army two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the league awarded Jen Reyes of Petron a golden ticket, making her the fourth Filipina to compete in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship set at the Mall of Asia Arena from Oct. 18 to 23.
A seasoned national team member who was part of the Petron squad that saw action in the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Vietnam last year, Reyes is considered as the country’s best floor defender with her quickness, agility and leadership.
“She’s the best in the business when it comes to defending the floor,” said PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara who personally handed Reyes the golden ticket with the help of Batangas Congressman Marvey Marano before another sold-out crowd.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity for Reyes to experience world-class volleyball action and learn from her foreign teammates and coaches. We hope that she will do her best to make the country proud.”
Reyes will be joining Fajardo, Gonzaga and Daquis in the prestigious squad, which will be bannered by seven foreign squads.
The PSL All-Star team will face Rexona Ades of Brazil, Volero Zurich of Switzerland, Pomi Casalmaggiore of Italy, Bangkok Glass of Thailand, Hisamitsu Springs of Japan and VakifBank Istanbul and Eczacibasi VitrA of Turkey.
Games Saturday
(FilOil Flying V Center)
2:30 pm – RC Cola-Army
vs F2 Logistics
4:30 pm – Petron vs
Standard Insurance-Navy
6:30 pm – Amyís vs Cignal
