Creamline, Pocari complete F4 cast
Pocari Sweat shook off pesky Perlas to pull off a 25-23, 25-15, 25-18 victory and nailed the third semifinal berth while Creamline took the last Final Four seat with a 25-16, 26-24, 25-17 romp over Air Force at the close of the quarterfinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan on Thursday night.
Top seed BaliPure will thus take on No. 4 Creamline while the No. 2 Power Smashers and the third seed Lady Warriors will tangle in the other pairing of the best-of-three semifinal series starting Saturday.
Winners will dispute the crown in another best-of-three affair.
Perlas ended up fifth with a 1-2 mark and Air Force wound up sixth with a 0-3 slate.
Smarting from its five-set setback to Pocari Sweat on Tuesday, Creamline overwhelmed Air Force at the net and cashed in on its rival’s sloppy reception to fashion out the straight-sets victory in the Sports Vision-organized tournament.
Alyssa Valdez fired 19 hits, including 14 attack points and four service aces, while Thai import Kuttika Kaewpin added 17 hits and Laura Schaudt scored three block hits for an eight-point output.
Iari Yong topscored for Air Force with seven hits, Mae Antipuesto and Jocemer Tapic each scored six points while Thai reinforcement Patcharee Saengmuang struggled for five points.
The Jet Spikers kept it close in the second set but Valdez unleashed back-to-back hits to shatter the 24-all count and make it 2-0 for Creamline on deuce points.
Air Force also threatened at 11-13 in the third but Creamline took nine of the next 11 points, including five straight hits, to pull away at 22-13.
Pau Soriano then scored off a block to finish off the Jet Spikers.
Earlier, Army held off Instituto Estetico Manila, 25-16, 21-25, 25-15, 25-23, to clinch the fourth and last semifinal berth in the men’s side.
As No. 4, the Troopers will face the top-seed Air Force Jet Spikers in the semifinals.
Cignal HD and Sta. Elena will dispute the other finals slot.
