Pocari tabs semis slot; BaliPure stays alive

FILE PHOTO – Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Defending champion Pocari Sweat overcame a tough challenge from Air Force, 25-19, 25-20, 29-27, to clinch a semifinal berth in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference Wednesday night at Filoil Flying V Centre.

The Lady Warriors registered their fifth win in six games and thus joined league-leader Creamline in the next stage.

Despite the loss, the Jet Spikers can still advance with a win over Adamson-Akari on Saturday.

Earlier, BaliPure struggled against a spunky Adamson-Akari before fashioning out a 25-18, 25-23, 19-25, 25-20 victory.

The win allowed the Water Defenders to stay within striking distance of the semifinals seat, but they will have to score another win against the Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors on Sunday to ensure that slot.

“It’s going to be hard, we need to win the last two games including this one so I guess the whole team realized the importance of this game,” said BaliPure team captain Jasmine Nabor in Filipino.

Top BaliPure gunners Jerrili Malabanan, Grethcel Soltones and Risa Sato chalked their usual numbers with 16, 14 and 11, respectively for the last conference’s runner-up team.

But it was the scrawny but agile Nabor who shone for BaliPure as she masterfully shifted from setter to open spiker and back throughout the match.