Perlas primes up for PVL quarters, subdues Iriga

MANILA, Philippines – BanKo-Perlas blew 4 match points in the 4th set but pulled through just the same, foiling Iriga-Navy, 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 28-26, and boosting its quarterfinal bid in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Refinforced Conference on Sunday, June 3, at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Playmaker Jem Ferrer came up with a tip dump shot that caught the Lady Oragons by surprise as the Perlas Spikers clinched the elusive point for the win, their second straight in a big finish in the elims campaign for a 3-4 card.

Through they wound up tied for 6th with the PetroGazz Angels, the Perlas Spikers had built some kind of momentum heading to the next phase. 

Tacloban also enhanced its bid in the next round as it stunned defending champion Pocari-Air Force, 25-17, 17-25, 25-20, 16-25, 15-10, to finish its elims campaign at 4-3.

Jovielyn Prado defied two Pocari blockers with a power hit to end the back-and-forth duel as the Fighting Warays pushed the Lady Warriors down to joint 5th at 3-4.

BanKo-Perlas, which checked its skid with a 5-set win over PayMaya last week, looked on its way to a romp after posting a 22-18 lead on a Dzi Gervacio cross-court attack in the 4th.

But the Lady Oragons refused to give up, taking the next 3 points, aided by two BanKo-Perlas miscues, and forcing extension 4 times, the last at 26 before import Kia Bright banged in a vicious kill and Ferrer delivered the match-clinching shot that slipped through the arms of Iriga-Navy defenders.

“We wavered in our passing game in the 4th but they didn’t give up. They really wanted to win,” said BanKo coach Dong dela Cruz.

Bright topscored for BanKo-Perlas with 27 points, including 22 spikes and 4 kill blocks and one service ace, while Thai import Jutarat Montripila backed her up with 23 points.

Lauren Whyte fired 26 hits with 12 excellent digs while fellow American reinforcement added 17 markers and Cyndy Imbo finished with 6 for the Lady Oragons, who absorbed their 5th straight defeat after an opening game victory over the BaliPure Water Defenders.

Earlier, Air Force pounced on a skidding Instituto Estetico Manila and carved out a 25-17, 25-19, 22-25, 25-22 victory to even its card at 2-2 in the men’s division of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.

The loss was IEM’s third straight after sweeping its first two games. –Rappler.com