F2 finishes off Petron

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Attacking without letup in a no-tomorrow setting, F2 Logistics on Saturday night completed its magnificent rise from the ashes and won its first-ever Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga Grand Prix title.

Grieving Venezuelan import Maria Jose Perez drilled in the championship-sealing crosscourt kill that finally finished off Petron, 25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, in Game 3 to complete the league’s first come-from-behind title series run before an animated gallery at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

It was the first time that a side rallied from 0-1 in the title playoffs, and it was made even more special after the Cargo Movers started the comeback from 1-2 sets down and 0-9 behind in the fourth set of Game 2 on Thursday.

Right weapons

“We know Petron is a very talented team. They have so many weapons,” said coach Ramil de Jesus, who also got back at Petron after losing in the All-Filipino Finals last July.

“That’s why this is a sweet victory for us. We made some adjustments and they failed to respond. We also made some key defensive stops that led us to this win,” De Jesus added.

Perez finished with 24 points a day after learning of her brother’s death back home. She was later named Most Valuable Player.

Mourning

“She’s nursing a broken heart after the passing of her older brother yesterday (Friday),” said De Jesus, admiring the professionalism of his Venezuelan reinforcement.

“But she hardly showed any emotion. She played great and she led us to this victory.”

Skipper Cha Cruz was also an inspiration, chipping in 16 points that made her one of the team’s key figures for the second straight game.

The Blaze Spikers refused to fade into the night and clinched the third set mainly through the efforts of Californian import Hillary Hurley, who wound up with the First Best Outside Spiker award.

Petron’s blocking and offensive execution came to fore in the third set with Hurley engineering a furious rally that overhauled a 17-18 deficit in the only set it won in the match.

But the Cargo Movers wouldn’t be denied of their second PSL title, as they got back into attack mode in the fourth set and left the Blaze Spikers in their wake.

Awardees

Also winning individual awards were Petron’s Mika Reyes as First Middle Spiker, Majoy Baron of F2 as Second Best Middle Spiker, Jaja Santiago of Foton as Best Opposite Spiker, Kim Kiana Dy of F2 as Second Best Opposite, Dawn Macandili of F2 as Best Libero, and Japanese Yuri Fukuda of Petron as Second Best Libero.

Foton’s Sara Klisura, who made a league all-time best 41 points in the conference, ran away with the Best Scorer accolade.