Photo from PVL
MANILA, Philippines – PLDT Home Fibr decided it doesn’t want to be the worst team in Pool B, picking up only its first win at the expense of helpless BaliPure, 25-20, 26-24, 25-22, Wednesday in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at Paco Arena in Manila.
Between teams that got free rides to the next round, the Highspeed Hitters created a semblance of readiness for the quarterfinals where they will need to beat either of the top two teams in Pool A twice.
“It’s very hard to come back from a 0-2 record, but we proved that we can win,” said Mika Reyes, PLDT’s brand new marquee player. “It’s not too late for us, we can still do it and we will work for it.”
Reyes topscored with 11 points for PLDT which had a heavy revamp in the off-season and is visibly still working on its chemistry. It won its first game after dropping the first two matches.
BaliPure, a low-key squad orphaned by top scorer Graziella Bombita before the conference began, stumbled to a 0-3. The Water Defenders managed to mount an uprising, leading, 20-19. But break just wasn’t on their side after PLDT made a finishing kick anchored on back-to-back aces by Heather Guino-o coming off the bench.
The Highspeed Hitters led in most departments including in kill-blocks, 7-4, most of them coming from the formidable presence of Reyes and Del Palomata. They also ruled in attacks (34-30) while the Water Defenders committed more errors (29-26).