Creamline’s Alyssa Valdez powers a point against Pocari’s Jeanette Panaga and Madeline Parker. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Creamline and PayMaya struck back on Wednesday night to stretch their semifinal series to the distance.
The Cool Smashers cut down the Pocari Sweat-Air Force Lady Warriors to size, 25-16, 26-24, 22-25, 25-17, in one of two Game 2s in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at Filoil Flying V Centre.
Earlier, Grethcel Soltones stepped up when the game was on the line, hitting three spikes in the fifth set to bail out a sinking PayMaya side over BanKo Perlas, 28-26, 25-16, 25-27, 25-27, 15-12.
Creamline superstars Michele Gumabao and Alyssa Valdez delivered the kind of performance expected of them, making 18 and 15 points, respectively.
Friday’s Game 3s will decide which teams will make the best-of-three finals.
The High Flyers, under fire after squandering a two-sets-to-none lead, went to the heavy-hitting Soltones at crunch time.
“I only have one mindset during that moment. That is to get that point,” said Soltones, who finished with 22 points.
The former San Sebastian stalwart hammered three cross-court kills after Perlas made a last-ditch effort to knot the match, 11-all.
Soltones took advantage of BanKo defenders who were focused on imports Tess Rountree and Shelby Sullivan, who unloaded 34 and 14 points, respectively.
“My teammates are my inspiration because we didn’t want to end our conference today (Wednesday),” Soltones added.
The defeat snapped the seven-game winning run of the Perlas Spikers.