Refusing to leave its fate to chance, BanKo punched its ticket to the semifinals of the 2019 PVL Open Conference on Sunday.
Behind the troika of Sue Roces, Dzi Gervacio, and Nicole Tiamzon, the Perlas Spikers hacked out a tough five-set challenge by the PacificTown-Army Lady Troopers, 25-27, 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 15-9, at University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod City.
Roces pummeled two kills and a pair of service aces en route to a game-high 20 points. Meanwhile, Gervacio flashed her all-around brilliance, flirting with a triple-double of 18 points, 12 excellent digs, and nine receptions.
BanKo skipper Tiamzon also showcased her double-edged arsenal, raining down 17 kills and 10 excellent digs. Battle-tested playmaker Jem Ferrer tossed in 30 excellent sets.
The Perlas Spikers rise to 10-5 and join defending champion Creamline in the semis’ cast.
On the other hand, Royse Tubino spearheaded the Lady Troopers. She had 21 points spiked by a pair of blocks and aces, and laced with seven digs, in a losing cause. Jovelyn Gonzaga collected four kill blocks to wind up with 20 points, on top of 27 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions to post a triple-double that all went down the drain.
The Lady Troopers stumbled to a 6-7 win-loss card. They have fallen in a two-way knot with Air Force, two-and-a-half games behind Motolite, as the three teams jockey for the last semifinals seat.
Both the Perlas Spikers and the Lady Troopers next face Creamline. PacificTown-Army will have the first crack at the Cool Smashers on Wednesday, October 16. Then BanKo’s match against the defending champions will be on Sunday, October 20. Both matches will be played at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
