FILE – Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Bureau of Customs, with a double-barreled weapon in Alyssa Valdez and Kanjana Kuthaisong, barged into the Shakey’s
V-League Reinforced Conference title series last night.
Valdez and the Thai import combined for seven points in the fifth set as Customs outlasted BaliPure, 25-21, 25-16, 24-26, 8-25, 15-8, in their winner-take-all Final Four duel at Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Customs will take on Pocari Sweat in the best-of-three finals starting Saturday.
BaliPure and University of Santo Tomas fight for third place.
Just when BaliPure seemed all done in the third set, it came back in full force, its defense shutting down Customs’ spikers with six blocks.
The crucial third set also saw Customs taking a 16-12 lead in attacks mainly through the efforts of Kanjana.
In the opening set, Customs launched 13 attacks against BaliPure’s eight, with Valdez starring for the Transformers.
Valdez even hurt her left ankle but insisted on playing. Kuthaisong took on the scoring chores as Customs again took the second frame.
Air Force takes Game 1
Meanwhile, Air Force averted disaster by downing Cignal, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 25-27, 15-12, in Game 1 of the Spikers’ Turf final, also a best-of-three fight.
In the battle for third, Champion Supra repulsed Instituto Estetico Manila, 25-19, 25-23, 27-29, 25-13, to also move a win away from topping their series.
First finalist
Pocari, first into the finals, is determined to go all the way for its second title this season, a goal that is not surprising as far as skipper Michelle Gumabao is concerned.
“This is something we worked hard for in training,” said the 24-year-old of the Lady Warriors, who will gun for the Reinforced Conference title to cement their status as the most dominant squad of the season.
“That has been our goal from the start, to become back-to-back champions.”
Pocari has taken the league by storm, to say the least, starting out as a virtual outsider before becoming a true force.
“I guess it’s the hard work that we put in and working hand in hand with our imports without relying on them too much,” said Gumabao.