PLDT kept in touch coming off a stinging loss the last time out and flattened F2 Logistics with a surprisingly one-sided 25-21, 25-18, 25-19 victory yesterday to wheel back into contention in the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The High Speed Hitters pounced on the visibly exhausted Cargo Movers, who came out flat after a mind-draining, energy-sapping five-set setback to the Creamline Cool Smashers last Thursday, enabling the former to wrest control early en route to a one-hour, 30-minute victory.
PLDT nearly blew a huge lead in the first set that had F2 Logistics pull within, 20-21. But the High Speed Hitters recovered in time and scored four of the last five points and went on to dominate the next two sets and tie their victim at 1-2 in the tight, single-round semis battle.
PLDT coach Rald Ricafort said he wasn’t a bit surprised over how the Cargo Movers played, having gone through the same hole after salvaging a five-set escape over the Chery TIggo Crossovers to clinch the last semis seat last Tuesday. They played below par in the next outing and suffered a straight-set defeat to the Cignal HD Spikers at the start of the semis last Thursday.
“I’m very happy na bumawi mga players after a bad game against Cignal,” said Ricafort. “Pag galing ka talaga sa five sets, yung rest napaka-importante, kinukulang talaga. Nasaktuhan lang siguro namin na sila (F2) naman ang pagod and we took advantage (of the situation).”
He added the semis phase has become more mental than physical.
“Mga one-and-a-half hour na lang ang training at pray na lang na maganda ang gising ng mga players kasi lahat pagod na,” said Ricafort.
Honey Royse Tubino presided over PLDT’s charge and scored 20 points, including 18 on attacks, while Fiola Ceballos, Dell Palomata and Mika Reyes backed her up with nine, eight and six points, respectively, as the Cargo Movers struggled practically all game trying to get their rhythm and energy following a two-hour and 24-minute grind against the Cool Smashers in a match they led at 2-1 (sets).
“Happy that we were able to win. Tuloy-tuloy lang ang t’yaga namin sa isa’t-isa. Pero talagang pinaghihirapan namin lahat ito sa training,” said Tubino.
Myla Pablo settled for a 10-point output after a 27-hit explosion against Creamline but still emerged as the top scorer for F2, which drew a couple of nine points from Majoy Baron and Aby Maraño and a combined 12-point output from Ivy Lacsina and Jolina Dela Cruz. Kim Dy opted to take a rest.
That led to a 45-34 discrepancy in attack points. And though F2 had more blocks, 7-3, and aces, 5-4, the Cargo Movers came undone with their unforced errors, which the High Speed Hitters translated into 23 big points, seven more than they yielded.