MANILA, Philippines–Motolite got enough fire from its gunners to take down BanKo Perlas, 26-28, 25-14, 25-19, 25-17, Saturday night and equalize the battle for bronze to 1-1 in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at FilOil Flying V Center.
But everything depends on the result of Game 2 of the finals between Creamline and PetroGazz. If the Cool Smashers win it late Saturday finishing the series, the Perlas Spikers will take third place on account of better sets won quotient.
BanKo Perlas won Game 1 in straight sets.
Still it was a big win for the Motolite Spikers who got big numbers from Myla Pablo, Tots Carlos and Isa Molde who scored seven of the match’s last nine points to preserve the win.
“In the first set we knew that we can do it but we let it slip away,” said Pablo who topscored with 26 points despite a hurting left foot.
She was referring to the close opening frame when the teams traded set points before Nicole Tiamson and Kath Bersola joined hands to hand the set to BanKo Perlas.
Carlos finished with 18 points, including a smash that broke a 16-all deadlock and sparked a massive windup for Motolite.
“This is a young team full of promise,” said Pablo in Filipino. “I know that they look up to me as the leader so it’s my responsibility.”
But the veterans of the Perlas Spikers failed to control the young Motolite side.
“We are just playing together for six months,” said Pablo. “In the Reinforced Conference we had a hard time because we changed imports, but now playing in all-Filipino we get to jell.”
Bersola and Sue Roces accounted for 12 points, while Tiamzon had 11 for BanKo Perlas.