Imports Jutarat Montripilia and Kia Bright formed an unstoppable combo that powered the BanKo Perlas Spikers to a four-set win over the PayMaya High Flyers, 25-19, 26-28, 25-23, 25-23, in Game One of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference semis at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Montripilia fired in a season-high 31 points off a sharp 30-for-57 attacking rate. Bright continued her resurgent play, adding 23 markers off 21 attacks, a block and an ace.
BanKo head coach Dong Dela Cruz praised his players’ grit in their toughest test of the season.
“Sabi ko lang sa kanila kailangan magtrabaho, we have to earn every point kasi alam naman natin malakas ang PayMaya. So, I commend my players kasi ‘yung puso nila manalo andoon. Nilabas nila ang galing nila,” said Dela Cruz.
He also stressed the importance of his imports’ clutch scoring.
“Ganoon talaga kapag kailangang-kailangan (ibigay sa imports). Pero, ang instruction ko naman sa setter kung mai-distribute ang bola, i-distribute para ma-open up naman ang dalawa. Pero kapag kailangan namin ang puntos dapat alam kung saan pupunta,” he furthered.
BanKo’s imports were crucial in the tight third and fourth sets. The Perlas Spikers were on the brink of letring big leads slip on both instances. Montripilia and Bright punched home back-to-back hits in the third set to break a 23-all deadlock.
The former Thai national team member them did the same in the fourth set, ticking off an hit past two blockers to give her squad a 24-23 lead. Montripilia then conspired with middle blocker Joy Dacoron to roof PayMaya’s Grethcel Soltones for the match’s final point.
BanKo can close the series and enter the Finals for the first time in franchise history with a win on Wednesday at the same venue.
Tess Rountree buoyed the High Flyers with 31 markers while Grethcel Soltones managed 16.
The Scores
BanKo Perlas (3) – Montripila 31, Bright 23, Tiamzon 9, Dacoron 6, Ahomiro 4, Emnas 1, Ferrer 0, Roces 0, De Jesus (L), Tan (L)
PayMaya (1) – Rountree 31, Soltones 16, Sullivan 8, Domingo 4, Malabanan 4, Nabor 3, Sta. Rita 1, Cayuna 0, Urdas 0, Singh 0, Pantone (L)
