Photo by: Ohmer Bautista
Fresh off a stunning loss last Wednesday, the Air Force returned to their winning ways, booting Vice Co. Blockbusters in emphatic fashion, 25-14, 25-23, 27-25, in the Premier Volleyball League Men’s Reinforced Conference semifinals at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
“Nung first game namin, hindi namin nabasa ang opensa. So, this time, binago namin ang pattern ng offense namin lalo sa open spiker tsaka yung blocking namin,” Air Force gead coach Rhovyl Verayo expressed.
Air Force got off to a strong start, mounting a 16-8 advantage, then inflating it to a 20-10 gap. In the second set, the Jet Spikers’ stellar net defense kept the Blockbusters at bay to take a commanding two sets to none buffer.
By the third set, however, the Blockbusters kept things close, 22-all. But Alnakran Abdilla’s consecutive hits got Air Force off the hook, inciting a 5-3 run, capped by a Jude Garcia hit that sailed wide, that sealed the game for good.
Abdilla topbilled with 22 points, while Bryan Bagunas and Fauzi Ismail added 15 and 12 markers respectively.
With the win, the Jet Spikers once again advances to the Best-of-three PVL Finals and will take on their last year’s tormentors Cignal HD Spikers on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Isang taon, hindi kami champion,” coach Verayo said. “We’re gonna do our best. Bibigyan namin ng magandang laban ang Cignal.”
But aside from doing their best, coach Verayo confessed that in order to stand a chance against Cignal, they have to finish the game as early as possible.
“Kung pwedeng manalo kami kaagad, kailangan kunin namin ‘yun,” he shared. “Disadvantage din namin, ‘pag sobrang haba na ng laro, mas madaling napapagod.”
Meanwhile, Richard Solis was the lone double-digit scorer for Vice Co., which will seek to pocket bronze in the best-of-three battle for third against PLDT also on Sunday, at the same venue.
The Scores:
Air Force (3) – Abdilla 22, Bagunas 15, Ismail 12, Fuentes 7, Malabanan 5, Marcos 1, Labrador 0, Lopez 0, De Ocampo 0, Tolentino 0.
Vice Co. (0) – Solis 10, Quiel 8, Bugaoan 7, Paler 5, Panglinawan 5, Garcia 4, Ramos 1, Malabunga 1, Silang 0, Suarez 0, Pablico 0, Kalingking (L), Marmeto (L).
