Cargo Movers get shot at consolation prize          

The veteran Aby Maraño (No. 2) leads the F2 celebration on the floor after a tight win over Kinh
Bac-Bac Ninh of Vietnam. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Despite undergoing a massive buildup in the lead-up to this new Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season, F2 Logistics came up short of its ultimate target and will have to settle for the consolation prize in the Invitational Conference.

“It’s been very hard for the team, we’ve been to losses after losses but we’re very happy to be back in the semis,” said F2 coach Regine Diego Friday after a 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-20 win over Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh of Vietnam gave her Cargo Movers the right to play Cignal for third place.

“I’m proud of these girls,” Diego added. “I just want them to be healthy and enjoy the game all the time.”

F2 Logistics and Cignal duel for the bronze at 4 p.m. on Sunday with Creamline and Kurashiki clashing for the gold medal at 6:30 p.m.

Majoy Baron stood tall for the Cargo Movers, finishing with 15 points to complete a three-sided battering ram for the local team after Myla Pablo scattered 20 points and Ivy Lacsina contributing 15.

Winless guests

“We gave our best and we’re happy for this win since we’re in the battle for third,” said Baron, whose two-handed dump off a broken play gave F2 Logistics a 22-19 cushion in the fourth.

Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh wound up winless in five games, although most of its losses were by narrow margins, counting a five-set defeat at the hands of the Ablaze early in the semifinals.

F2 actually finished the round with a 2-3 record like Cignal and PLDT, but by winning in four sets, bundled out the idle High Speed Hitters.

Cignal and F2 both had seven tiebreak points to make the bronze medal match. PLDT finished with six.

The title game between the Cool Smashers and Ablaze, meanwhile, had a preview at presstime. INQ