PVL: PLDT rebounds with sweep of Farm Fresh to end first round
PVL

PVL: PLDT bounces back with sweep of Farm Fresh to end first round

Elena Samoilenko and PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL Reinforced Conference.

Elena Samoilenko and PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL Reinforced Conference. –PVL IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–PLDT redeemed itself from a first loss in this conference by blanking Farm Fresh, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23, to end its PVL Reinforced Conference first round duties on a high note on Thursday at PhilSports Arena.

The High Speed Hitters relied on Russian import Elena Samoilenko who finished with 22 points, majority coming from attacks, to improve to a 4-1 card heading into the second round.

Article continues after this advertisement

“Happy that we got through the bracket, so hopefully the momentum helps in the second group stage. Because the teams we’ll be crossing over with don’t really seem like bottom three,” coach Rald Ricafort said.

FEATURED STORIES

READ: SCHEDULE: 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference

“If you think about it, Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho are still strong teams, so we still need to prepare for them. It’s good that we gained some momentum somehow,” he added.

Article continues after this advertisement

Fiola Ceballos contributed 11 attack points while Kim Fajardo kept the Foxies guessing with 12 excellent sets apart from her three attacks. Mika Reyes added eight points, half of which coming from blocks.

Article continues after this advertisement
PLDT High Speed Hitters' Fiona Ceballos.

PLDT High Speed Hitters’ Fiona Ceballos. –PVL IMAGES

“I’m just happy because this game is important for our momentum as a team, so this will be our basis for what adjustments we need to make,” Fajardo said.

Article continues after this advertisement

PLDT will move on to Pool C with other top-ranked Pool A teams Creamline and Chery Tiggo.

READ: PVL: Khat Bell gets Chery Tiggo back on track with win over PLDT

It was evident from the way PLDT played that it wanted to rebound from its five-sets loss against Chery Tiggo on Saturday, stopping at nothing as early as the opening frame.

Article continues after this advertisement

“We’re really just focusing on what’s next. We’re always thinking about the next step because we can’t change the result of our last game, so we just forget it and keep working,” Fajardo added.

Farm Fresh bared its teeth halfway into the second set and kept in step with the High Speed Hitters who got away in the last second to gain a 2-0 set advantage.

The Foxies kept up until the deciding frame but their own errors allowed PLDT, who was firing at will, to pull away at 19-15. Farm Fresh carved out some sort of rally but it was the same story for the Foxies who were still not able to defend properly and keep their consistency in the offense.

“In our last loss, we focused too much on what Khat Bell would do. We forgot what our team was capable of. So, I think we’ll focus on that instead—not on what our opponents can do, but on what we can do,” Fajardo said.

Alyssa Bertolano sent a service to the net to send PLDT to match point before Reyes closed the doors on Kate Santiago for the win.

Trisha Tubu still had 17 points for Farm Fresh as it moved on to Pool D along with Galeries Tower and Nxled, the other bottom-ranked teams of Pool A.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Yeny Murillo, the Foxies’ Colombian import, helped a little bit with 11 points.

TAGS: PLDT High Speed Hitters, PVL Reinforced Conference

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.