MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
PLDT coach Rald Ricafort was unsatisfied with the way his High Speed Hitters wrapped up its preliminary round in the PVL Reinforced Conference, what with Chery Tiggo awaiting them on the other end of the floor in a knockout match.
His wards didn’t let him down when that game came.
“It came down to the desire to win,” Ricafort said after the High Speed Hitters reached the semifinals for the first time since the first All-Filipino Conference last year by outlasting the Crossovers in a marathon 25-23, 25-27, 15-25, 25-18, 15-9 triumph on Tuesday at FilOil EcoOil Centre.
“During the game, when we were down a set, they showed what we talked about on how we can recover quickly in those tight situations. That was the most important thing,” he added.There was little that the High Speed Hitters could do to limit Crossovers import Kath Bell, who unleashed 40 points, and PLDT had no choice but to unleash Elena Samoilenko to a virtual shootout in accounting for 37 points that greatly helped.
“If we aren’t [mentally] present in those times, there are a lot of things that could distract us so we brought a lot of patience and extra effort,” Ricafort added. “Those things worked for us today.”
It was no secret that PLDT relied on its tested veterans such as Samoilenko, Majoy Baron—who blocked Bell to send the game to match point, 14-9—and Fiola Ceballos, who added 12 points.
Excellent setting
Ceballos also had an all-around effort that included 14 excellent receptions, while captain and libero Kath Arado did what she does best and came up with 24 excellent digs.
“My motivation was really the work that we put in and the hunger to win,” Kim Fajardo said after orchestrating the offense with 23 excellent sets.
“A lot of it came from experience, not only from the entire conference, but also from my whole career knowing that its more fun to play in these tight games,” Baron said.
With their season on the line, the High Speed Hitters, behind three consecutive kills from the Russian, manufactured a 6-0 run capped by a Samoilenko block on Mylene Paat.But the work doesn’t end yet for PLDT, which battles idle and undefeated Akari in the semifinals also in a knockout setting.
“Before the game, I reminded them that we deserve to be in this situation and reach this [quarterfinal] game,” Ricafort said. “We fought even in a no-bearing game against Choco Mucho because we want to instill in them the culture of working for every game.
“I am happy that the composure that we were looking for showed in this game,” he added.
Creamline and defending champion Petro Gazz were still playing their side of the quarterfinals at press time, with the Angels coming into the game fresh off a four-game winning streak but labeled as the underdogs.Cignal was the first team to make the Final Four after surviving the tournament record 50 points of Capital1 import Marina Tushova in a five-set thriller.
Akari, the classification round topnotcher unbeaten heading into the playoffs, made it nine straight and followed the HD Spikers to the next round after trimming Farm Fresh.
The semifinals will be played on Thursday. INQ