Foton vents ire on Cocolife
Foton finally notched its first win after clobbering Cocolife, 25-16, 25-17, 25-13, Thursday night in the Belo-Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Serbian coach Moro Branislav, who had a run-in with the league’s controversial second-set rule, appeared to have a better grip of it this time, using it to the hilt with his star middle blocker Dindin Manabat.
Manabat didn’t start as the Tornadoes sized up the Asset Managers in the opening set. That hardly mattered as Foton unleashed 14 attacks against seven by Cocolife for the lopsided frame.
The 6-foot-2 Manabat was then fielded in the second set where she threw her weight around, breaking the Asset Managers’ morale despite the presence of stars Michele Gumabao and Denden Lazaro, who was making her PSL debut.
Fiery spiker Grethcel Soltones delivered 11 points, 10 of them on attacks, as the Tornadoes recovered from a stinging five-set defeat at the hands of the Cignal HD Spikers.
Soltones’ powerful forays allowed Foton to bury Cocolife with 40 attacks throughout the match that lasted for just one hour and 10 minutes.
Cocolife was stymied with just 19 attacks in that span.
The Asset Managers tried very hard to work on their cohesion, momentarily taking the driver’s seat, 10-7, in the second set through spikers Wensh Tiu and Therese Gaston.
But it was short-lived once Manabat started to get her groove, joining starters Maika Ortiz and Ivy Perez who were sent back in after the second technical timeout.
Cocolife absorbed its second straight defeat.
