Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Air Force showed it isn’t about to simply fold up, pulling off a shock victory over an undermanned Pocari Sweat, 25-19, 24-26, 25-27, 25-21, 15-6, to finally end a seven-game spiral while slowing the defending champions’ march to an outright semifinal berth in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference Thursday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
Thai import Patcharee Saengmuang flexed her muscles and unloaded 27 points, sealing the Jet Spikers’ victory with back-to-back hits.
Saengmuang also drew support from her Air Force teammates in combating Pocari import Michelle Strizak’s conference-best 40-hit effort, 38 of which came from attacks.
The Jet Spikers notched just their second victory against eight losses at the close of the double-round elimination phase of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
But the victory was a dose of optimism for a Jet Spikers crew that can now reboot its bid when the tournament kicks off its single round quarterfinals starting Sunday. The four other teams outside the top two will dispute the remaining Final Four berths from scratch.
Pocari, which needed a victory to join BaliPure in the semifinals, thus closed out with a 6-4 card, keeping the Power Smashers and the Perlas Spikers, toting identical 5-4 marks, in the hunt for the other outright berth in the Final Four.
Joy Cases backed Saengmuang with 21 markers while Jocemer Tapic and Iari Yongco combined for 23 hits, helping the Jet Spikers overcome a 1-2 set deficit to snatch the victory.
“Since we’re on a skid, I told the girls to do what we’ve been doing in practice and they delivered,” said Air Force coach Jasper Jimenez.
Already missing the services of top local hitter Myla Pablo (back injury), Pocari also played sans Bosnian import Edina Selimovic (hamstring tear).
Earlier, Air Force clobbered winless Café Lupe, 25-16, 25-22, 25-19, to clinch the first semifinal berth in the men’s division of the league backed by Mikasa and Asics.