PSL: Foton trips top seed Philips Gold, Petron bags first semis berth

Danielle Nakpil

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

PSL: Foton trips top seed Philips Gold, Petron bags first semis berth
The Foton Tornadoes continued to sustain momentum after winning its third consecutive game against the league-leading Philips Gold Lady Slammers

MANILA, Philippines- The Foton Tornadoes continued to sustain momentum after winning its third consecutive game against the league-leading Philips Gold Lady Slammers, 25-14, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18, in the 2015 Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix women’s volleyball tournament, Thursday, November 5 at the Arena in San Juan.

Jaja Santiago unloaded 18 markers built off 11 kills, 3 blocks, and 4 aces for the Tornadoes while imports Lindsay Stalzer and Kathleen Messing contributed 17 and 18 points apiece to improve their cards to a 4-3 win-loss record. 

The Tornadoes didn’t only depend on the attacks of Santiago and American import Stalzer but also banked on the defensive muscle the two provided in the net.

“We cannot do the offense without the defense. That’s the first thing,” said Foton coach Vilet Ponce de Leon.

Foton posted two impressive straight set victories against RC Cola-Air Force and heavyweight Cignal before the Halloween break. 

“It’s a morale booster for the players,” said de Leon on her squad’s winning run. “As I can see, they’re not just enjoying themselves outside the court but also inside. I think that’s a good thing.” 

De Leon added that the players needed the break because of the high intensity games they played last week. 

On the other hand, American import Bojana Todorovic spearheaded the Lady Slammers with a total of 14 points while fellow import Alexis Olgard and NU standout Myla Pablo chipped in 13 and 10 points respectively.

But still, their efforts weren’t enough to stop the Tornadoes.  

Foton will face the still winless Meralco Power Spikers on Tuesday, November 10. 

Blazing Petron crushes Meralco, bags first PSL semis berth

Reigning champions Petron Blaze Spikers will walk straight to the semifinals after an easy 27-25, 25-20, 25-21, straight set victory over the winless Meralco Power Spikers.

Brazilian reinforcement Rupia Inck destroyed Meralco with 14 lethal attacks, two aces, and one block, with a total of 17 points. Dindin Manabat and Carmina Aganon also helped to seal the deal for the Blazing Spikers  with 12 and 8 markers respectively.

According to Petron Head Coach George Pascua, he utilized the skills and strength of Inck which clearly translated in today’s win.

However, the Blazing Spikers had a sluggish start just like their other games, but was eventually able to overcome a 23-19 deficit in the first set. 

“Kahit walang tinalo yung kalaban, kailangan challenge padin. Mahina o malakas, laging championship game dapat,” said Pascua as his reminder to his team.

He also encourages them not to let the guards down despite bagging a sure spot in the semis.

“Kailangan parin naming mag strive pa para maipanalo yung game. Though naka pasok na kami sa semis, kailangan parin naming manalo sa kanila,” he added.  

American import Christina Alessi stood as the lone bright spot for the Meralco Power Spikers especially down the stretch as her attacks narrowed Petron’s lead from 23-18 to 20-23 in the last set. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!