Tacloban takes gritty five-set win over Pocari

Dimdim Pacres slammed 21 points to lead Tacloban over Pocari-Air Force, 18-25, 25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 15-9 on Saturday night, fueling its campaign in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at FilOil Flying V Centre.

The heavy-hitting lefty served as the Fighting Warays’ main option against the Lady Warriors, who came into the game still licking the wounds of a stinging five-set defeat at the hands of the Motolite-Ateneo Lady Eagles last Wednesday.

At 3-4, the win allowed Tacloban to come within striking distance of the top four, which will have incentives in the next round. Pocari fell to its second consecutive defeat for a 3-3 record.

Jovielyn Prado scored three straight points in the fifth set which Tacloban dominated as Pocari superstar Myla Pablo could not find any support from her teammates.

The underrated Fighting Warays needed some time to find their groove after trailing, 6-11, in the third frame.

But Heather Guino-o, Pacres and Prado slowly chipped away at the lead to steal the set, forcing Pocari to commit seven errors in that frame.

Pocari once again took a commanding lead, 12-7, in the fourth only to witness Tacloban claw back to tie it all up at 17, before finishing off the frame and forcing a deciding set through the efforts of Pablo and Jeannete Panaga.

But Tacloban broke that momentum in the fifth set as Kyle Negrito deftly distributed the ball to the Fighting Warays’ gunners, making 30 excellent sets in the process.