PVL: Power Smashers stay in outright semis hunt

Power Smashers coach Nes Pamillar. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Power Smashers escaped with a 25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 25-23 victory over Philippine Air Force to stay in the hunt for an outright semis berth in the 2017 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference Tuesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.

But coach Nes Pamillar felt the win still left a lot to be desired with the way his girls performed against the cellar-dwelling Jet Spikers.

“I’m not satisfied with how the players performed,” Pamillar said in Filipino. “They were out of sync and it seemed like they were taking things easy. They know that they can beat our opponent and relaxed too much. That can’t be the case,” he said.

Thai guest player Kannika Tipachot showed the way as she had 21 of her 23 points off attacks to help the Power Smashers improve to a 5-4 slate.

Hyapa Amporn added 11 markers, while Jovelyn Prado got 10, including the match-clinching joust against Air Force’s Iari Yongco in the fourth set.

Still, Pamillar called out her ladies for their lackluster showing, putting the focus on his setters Vira Gullema and Alina Bicar.

“There were lots of instructions that weren’t followed. They didn’t seem like they know what they were doing. I was telling them to think. I told them we’ll talk again in the dugout,” he said.

After taking the first set, 25-23, the Power Smashers came out flat in Set 2, allowing the Jet Spikers to equalize, 25-16.

They seemed to have figured things out in the fourth set, turning a 14-all deadlock to a 21-15 lead, but once again fell to the same trap as Air Force tied the game at 22.

Luckily, Prado took matters into her own hands, scoring off the block to put her side at match point before denying Yongco on the net for the win.

Patcharee Saengmuang topped Air Force (1-8) with 21 points, while Angel Mae Antipuesto got 11 in the loss.