The Petron Blaze Spikers had theirs back against the wall for the majority of the game against the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, Thursday evening.
Having lost the first and second sets, the defending champions were on the brink of suffering another loss to their arch-rival. A defeat would complete a disheartening season sweep at the hands of the Cargo Movers, and would snap their nine-game winning surge.
And so, the moment the third set started, the odds were highly stacked against Petron. But instead of crumbling under pressure, the Blaze Spikers showed the heart of a champion.
“Natalo kami ng first two sets pero feeling namin, hindi naman kami na-down talaga,” Bernadeth Pons shared.
“Inenjoy lang namin yung game at inapply lang namin yung mga pinag-ensayuhan namin.”
Like a well-oiled machine, Petron controlled the tempo in the third set to keep the Cargo Movers at bay. While the rest of the Blaze Spikers delivered in their own ways, the dynamic duo of Pons and Sisi Rondina spelled the difference.
Pons and Rondina – the pair who dominated the PSL Beach Challenge Cup – linked up with the match at a 15-all stalemate. The former nailed the differential hits to give her team a slim separation, while the latter widened the gap and provided the comfortable cushion.
From there on, the tandem took their turns to stifle the opposition — a trend that continued until the decisive fifth set. The Blaze Spikers then waxed hot and dealt the Cargo Movers their first loss of the season.
Rondina went on to finish the game as her team’s leading scorer. The product of UST poured in 22 points built on 21 attacks and a block – much to the delight of her long-time partner on the sands.
“Sobrang laking bagay kasi alam naman natin kung paano maglaro si Sisi eh,” Pons said.
“Tapos yung energy pa na binibigay niya sa team… Sobrang laking bagay niya talaga sa Petron.”
On the other hand, Pons strutted her all-around wares. The former Lady Tamaraw dispersed a double-double performance of 16 points laced with 22 excellent digs.
After the hard-earned victory, the 22-year-old outside hitter is glad that her team showed the fruits of their labor. Most importantly, Petron now stand atop the standings with a 12-1 card, while F2 Logistics drop to solo second with an 11-1 slate.
“Thank you and sobrang saya ko kasi na-apply namin lahat ng na-practice namin sa training. Lahat ng plays namin lumabas.”
