PetroGazz survives Tacloban to kick off Open campaign

PetroGazz survived a challenge put up by Tacloban in the first and third sets as it hammered out a 25-22, 25-14, 26-24 victory Saturday in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Paneng Mercado led the way with 14 points, 11 of which came off attacks and the other three on blocks.

“I’m happy that the work we put up in the last few weeks is starting to bear fruit,” said Mercado, daughter of former Asia’s former sprint queen Lydia de Vega-Mercado.

Meanwhile, action in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision heats up this early as Ateneo-Motolite and Pocari-Air Force slug it out in a duel of fancied teams at Imus Sports Complex in Cavite on Sunday.

The Lady Eagles, who skipped the Collegiate Conference to toughen up for this tournament, and the Myla Pablo-led Lady Warriors slug it out at 4 p.m. with PetroGazz and BanKo-Perlas colliding at 6 p.m.

“We realize that with the unprecedented rise in the popularity of women’s volleyball, many want to watch our games. But their distance to our home venue in San Juan are prohibiting them. Particularly this season, Sports Vision is bringing more and more PVL games to the provinces,” said Sports Vision president Ricky Palou.