Air Force spikers trip Bali Pure

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

PHILIPPINE Air Force made Bali Pure feel it sorely needs volleyball star Alyssa Valdez as the Jet Spikers hammered out a 25-23, 14-25, 25-19, 25-16 victory in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The Jet Spikers dumped the Water Defenders early in the final two sets with Dell Palomata, May Ann Pantino and Judy Ann Caballejo taking charge.

Valdez missed the Water Defenders’ debut match due to a prior commitment in Europe, where the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player has been conducting a series of training camps and exhibition matches with Bali Pure standouts Grethcel Soltones and Alyssa Eroa.

But Air Force coach Jasper Jimenez said his squad should have capitalized on the absence of Bali Pure’s stars earlier as their overconfidence allowed the Water Defenders to steal the second set.

“I reminded them that it doesn’t end in one set,” said Jimenez. “We were disorganized and had poor reception in the second set. Good thing we were able to recover in the third and fourth sets.”

The Jet Spikers joined opening-day winners National University and Pocari Sweat for the early lead.

Palomata fired 16 points to pace the Jet Spikers, who got off to a 7-1 start in the third set and never relinquished the advantage.

The Jet Spikers came out even more dominating in the fourth frame with double-digit leads as high as 22-11 behind the efforts of Caballejo (13 points), Pantino (10 points) and Jocemer Tapic (10 points).

In Spikers’ Turf, Cignal rallied past Bounty Fresh in five sets, 25-18, 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10, to share the early 1-0 lead with men’s opening-day winner Instituto Estetico Manila.

Ysay Marasigan, the Finals MVP in Ateneo’s recent UAAP championship romp, powered the HD Spikers with 16 kills and four blocks for a game-high 20 points.

Marasigan teamed up with former collegiate rival Raymark Woo of La Salle, who chipped in 14 points.

“I’m happy they’ve played well together,” said Cignal coach Michael Cariño, but noted that the HD Spikers should lessen their errors after committing an atrocious 41 versus the Fresh Spikers.

“It almost cost us this game and we really need to do something about it,” added Cariño.

Herschel Ramos also tallied four of the HD Spikers’ seven aces for a 13-point outing, while Edmar Bonono added 11 points.