Biñan Tatak Gel secured the third semifinal spot with a commanding 25-23, 26-24, 25-16 victory over AM Caloocan in the 2024 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association on Tuesday night at the Alonte Sports Arena in Laguna.
The Volley Angels, now with a 10-5 record, needed only 80 minutes to achieve two key objectives: clinching the semifinal berth and temporarily claiming the second seed, which offers a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.
Biñan joined Quezon (13-1), which has already locked in the No. 1 seed and the other twice-to-beat incentive, and Rizal (10-4) in the semifinals. One semifinal spot remains up for grabs, with three teams still in contention.
Shane Carmona led Biñan with 17 points, including 16 attacks and an ace, powering the Volley Angels to their fourth consecutive win in the nine-team, two-round MPVA, a league founded by former Senator and MPBL chairman Manny Pacquiao.
Chreizel Aguilar and May Ann Nuique added 13 and 12 points, respectively, as Biñan overcame a tough challenge from Caloocan in the first two sets before pulling away decisively in the third to complete the sweep.
In the other match, Quezon maintained its dominant run with a 25-18, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18 victory over Bacoor, clinching the No. 1 seed with two games left in its schedule.
Rhea Mae Densing led the Tangerines with 18 points, while Mycah Go, Cristy Ondangan, and Mary Grace Borromeo chipped in 15, 14, and 10 points, respectively, in Quezon’s fourth straight win.
Quezon’s win put Bacoor’s semifinal hopes in jeopardy, dropping them to a 9-3 record. San Juan (6-7) and Caloocan (5-7) still have slim chances to advance, but both teams must win all their remaining games while hoping for Bacoor to falter.
San Juan, led by Charisse Enrico’s 11 points, along with Camille Bustamante and Jemalyn Menor’s 10 points each, needs just one more win to secure a semifinal spot. With four games left, including a match against the struggling Valenzuela (2-10) on Thursday, the Strikers are in a strong position to advance.
Iari Yongco-Quimson and Dara Nieva scored 15 and 10 points, respectively, for Caloocan in the crucial loss, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread with only a few matches remaining in the MPVA, which is backed by Extreme One-Stop Shop Appliances, ASICS, Mikasa, and Gerflor, with MPTV and Outcomm as broadcast partners.
