The De La Salle University Lady Spikers have a knack for taking Game Threes in four sets. Last April 30, the ladies from Taft had ended a two-year title drought with a resounding Game Three win in the UAAP Finals against bitter rivals the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles.
The same core of Lady Spikers donned the black, yellow, and red of the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers and took down another blue-clad foe, the Foton Tornadoes, in the pivotal Game Three of the PSL All-Filipino Conference Finals, 18-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-19, at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Foton kept a steady three-point lead to begin the first set. Sitting ahead 19-17, the Tornadoes picked up intensity, working off Angeli Araneta’s strong serving to stifle F2’s offense. Ej Laure finished off plays and led Foton to an insurmountable 23-17 lead, sealing the first set.
F2 next took the early momentum, negotiating a 15-11 lead in the second set. The Tornadoes managed to cut the deficit down to two, 17-15, but lost all their fight from there. With Foton unable to pass, F2 took advantage of the free balls and errors their foes surrendered and took control of the set with a huge 23-15 advantage.
Continuing to serve hard and play steady defense, the Cargo Movers unloaded a run midway through the third set that afforded them a 17-13 lead. Foton charger back, getting another steady spell of serves from Angeli Araneta to wrestle away the lead, 18-17. From there, F2 grabbed the reins of the set, relying on their patented net defense to overpower the Tornadoes. Back-to-back Ara Galang blocks gave F2 set point, 24-19, setting the stage for a Foton error to end the frame.
Just like April 30, the La Salle-powered Cargo Movers saw the finish line and sprinted to the trophy. F2 built an early lead, 13-7, and protected the advantage until the end of the match. Kim Dy and a Mika Reyes ace made the championship points.
F2’s omnipresent libero Dawn Macandili was named the conference’s Most Valuable Player, as she had anchored the F2 defense all season. She capped Game Three with a 10-dig effort. Ara Galang took care of the scoring, contributing 12 points, Kim Dy added 11, while Aby Maraño amassed 10.
“Masaya kami sa panalo. Buong season ito ang tinarabaho namin. Naipakita ng team ang character nila sa game na ito, ‘yun ang importante,” said F2 head coach Ramil De Jesus, who had won his first PSL title since participating in the league.
Foton’s towering middle hitter Jaja Santiago topped all scorers with 20 points. Cherry Rondina pitched in 12 markers.
The Scores:
F2 Logistics (3) – Galang 12, Dy 11, Marano 10, Reyes 9, Fajardo 7, Demecillo 6, Baron 1, Cruz 0, Gendrauli 0, Opp Err 37, Macandili (L), Cheng (L)
Foton (1) – Santiago 20, Rondina 12, Laure 9, Orendain 6, Ortiz 6, Araneta 6, Dimaculangan 4, Macatuno 0, Opp Err 20, General (L), Acevedo (L)
