BaliPure sweeps Pocari Sweat for first PVL crown

BaliPure celebrates after scoring a point against Pocari Sweat in Game 2 of their best-of-three finals series in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. The Water Defenders won in four sets to capture their first PVL title. Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net

BaliPure knocked off Pocari Sweat, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 26-24, to win its maiden Premier Volleyball League title Wednesday night at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The Water Defenders found redemption in the Open Conference, just two months after losing to the Lady Warriors in a do-or-die Game 3 in the Reinforced Conference Finals.

“We went through a lot. When we started the conference, we almost didn’t make it to the semis. When we entered the semis, we lost the first game and we almost didn’t make the finals but again the girls persevered,” said BaliPure head coach Roger Gorayeb.

It was the same narrative for BaliPure in Game 2.

The Water Defenders nearly dropped the third and fourth sets before showing great resolve to fight off the steely Lady Warriors, who rode on MVP Myla Pablo in the crucial stages.

BaliPure blew leads late in the last two sets and needed endgame heroics from Grethcel Soltones and skipper Jasmin Nabor to push through.

Soltones, who was named Finals MVP, ended the third set with an off-speed spike while Nabor tapped the ball out and into a gaping hole for the title-clinching point.

Soltones fired 21 points after scoring 14 in Game 1 while Aiko Urdas and Risa Sato added 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Nabor had eight points and 40 excellent sets after missing Game 1 due to a stiff neck.

Pablo played through an illness for the second straight game and still came away with 21 points.