JOVELYN Gonzaga sizzled with 22 points as she led the RC Cola Army Lady Troopers to a 25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 19-25, 15-11 stopping of the Petron Tri Activ Lady Spikers Thursday in the 2016 Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference women’s volleyball tournament.
Her efforts c
arried the Lady Troopers to third place when their two-hour battle ended at The Arena in San Juan.
Gonzaga struck hardest in the fifth and final set as the Lady Troopers stepped on the gas and took charge with a 6-0 run in the deciding phase of the match.
Her big game made up for the absence of injured Rachel Anne Daquis.
Gonzaga’s kill shot and a sideout from defenders Frances Molina and Mary Grace Masangkay finally put the Lady Troopers out of trouble, 8-2.
“Sabi ko sa kanila, kailangan nating tapusin nang maganda ang conference. Nag-respond naman sila. Iyung service namin sa huli, nakargahan namin. Marami kasing error ng third and fourth,” said Lady Trooper coach Kungfu Reyes.
This will be Gonzaga’s final stint with the Lady Troopers in six months as she is going on a long layoff to undergo a candidate soldiers’ course in the Philippine Army, along with seven others.
The Lady Troopers, who also got 15 points from Honey Royce Tubino, took the first two sets before the Tri Activ Spikers bounced in back in the third and fourth sets.
Petron, with Bernadeth Pons producing 17 points, forced seven deadlocks in the third before they moved away, 22-19, off Cherry Rose Nunag’s placement shot at the net, followed by an ace from Kyle Negrito and an Army error.
They took a 19-14 edge in the fourth after Gonzaga committed a service error and Gonzaga fired an ace.
Cristina Salak’s jump spike, followed by Gonzaga’s block off Jennylyn Reyes allowed Petron to come to within, 21-24.