PVL, Pocari blast LVPI due to ITC woes

The Premier Volleyball League and Pocari Sweat Sunday blasted the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc, for its failure to act on the Lady Warriors’ request for the ITC (International Transfer Certificate) of its replacement import.

Pocari is fighting for one of the last two semifinal berths in the ongoing PVL Reinforced Conference.

Team manager Eric Ty said Krystal Rivers has been in town ready to take over Edina Selimovic, who is out for the rest of the season with a hamstring tear. But with no ITC, Rivers could not suit up for the defending champions a game into the single round quarterfinal phase.

“Our new import is here but to the person withholding access to our team’s FIVB account, please act with decency and register our import,” said Ty.

ITC woes have also forced the league, which revived the once dormant sport in 2004, to play all Filipino majority of the elims.

“I am really dismayed with LVPI and how it has been handling the ITC problems. The Premier Volleyball League has been encountering these problems the last three years. It just shows the weakness of the LVPI leadership,” said Ricky Palou, president of the organizing Sports Vision.

Meanwhile, Creamline geared up for its keenly awaited face-off with Pocari Sweat with a 25-16, 9-25, 17-25, 25-13, 15-13 win over Perlas on Saturday, matching the Lady Warriors’ scrambling victory over Air Force at the start of the quarterfinal round of the Reinforced Conference at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Alyssa Valdez came through with back-to-back kills to shatter the 13-all count in the decider and save the day for the Cool Smashers, who blew a 12-8 lead on miscues and wobbly defense that enabled the Perlas Spikers to claw back and force a tie. Valdez finished with 21 points.

Earlier, the defending champion Lady Warriors also rallied from 1-2 set down to repulse the Jet Spikers, 21-25, 25-23, 19-25, 25-14, 15-10, as the two fancied teams lined themselves up for crack at the last two semifinal berths in the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.

They will virtually dispute the third slot Tuesday at 4 p.m. with no team holding a distinct advantage after they split their meetings in the double-round eliminations via the same fashion. Pocari downed Creamline, 15-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-19, last May 11 but the latter struck back with a 21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-13 romp last May 20.

It was a sorry setback for Perlas, which had appeared to have Creamline’s numbers by taking a 2-1 set lead but whose charge fizzled out in the face of the Cool Smashers strong finishing kick.

Meanwhile, Perlas and Air Force also brace for a virtual knockout duel at 6:30 p.m. with the winner staying in the hunt for the last semis seat.

BaliPure and the Power Smashers advanced to the semis outright by topping the elimination round.