The PayMaya High Flyers overcame early slip ups and snapped Petro Gazz Angels’ three-game winning streak, 27-25, 25-23, 25-17, to enter the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference semifinals at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
PayMaya improve their record to 4-2. Although they have a game remaining against the Bali Pure Purest Water Defenders (3-3) on Wednesday, the High Flyers have gathered enough points through quotient to outright qualify for the semis, joining the Creamline Cool Smashers.
“Maraming disadvantages din kapag agad kang umangat sa semis,” said PayMaya head coach Roger Gorayeb.
“Mahirap din kasi ilang linggo kang walang laro. Pero masaya kami kasi gusto namin manalo lang nang manalo pati ma-improve pa ‘yung chemistry namin as a team,” the triple crown champion coach added.
The High Flyers lost sizable leads in the first two sets. PayMaya allowed Petro Gazz to retaliate from a 24-22 gap and force a deuce. Clutch hits from Tess Rountree and Grethcel Soltones saved the High Flyers.
PayMaya again almost opened the door for the Angels to rally back from a 19-24 gap in the following frame. Their lead trimmed to one, 24-23, Rountree pounded two Angels blockers to end the second set. By the third set, Petro Gazz had lost all vigor, as PayMaya took a 16-7 lead and never looked back.
Rountree managed 19 points, while Grethcel Soltones added 12 markers for PayMaya.
Olena Lymareva-Fink tallied 15 markers for Petro Gazz, who ended their elimination round campaign with a 3-4 slate.
The Scores:
PayMaya (3) – Rountree 19, Soltones 12, Domingo 8, Urdas 6, Malabanan 5, Sullivan 5, Nabor 3, Pantone (L)
Petro Gazz (0) – Lymareva-Fink 15, Trach 14, Nunag 6, Mercado 4, Musa 3, Saet 2, Cheng 1, Nepomuceno 1, Mendrez 0, Enclona (L)
