Petro Gazz lived to fight another day, surviving Cignal in five sets, 25-22, 21-25 22-25, 26-24, 18-16, to send the 2022 Premier Volleyball League Open Conference semifinals to a Game Three, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Angels and the HD Spikers will have less than 24 hours to rest to prepare for the knockout match. The game takes place at 6:00 PM on Monday, back at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
And the Angels needed to dig deep to survive.
With the scores locked at 12 in the finale, Angeli Araneta converted a cross-court hit. Then Roselyn Doria hammered an over reception from Bang Pineda to put the HD Spikers at a 14-12 advantage.
Aiza Maizo-Pontillas answered right back while Remy Palma followed it up with a runner to keep the Angels alive at 14-all.
Grethcel Soltones got a check ball in the ensuing play before Rachel Daquis went for a cross-court to extend the match. Soltones also went cross to give Petro Gazz a one-point lead, but Doria tied it once more, 16-all, with a quick
Chie Saet’s 1-2 play placed the Angels at match point, before Myla Pablo sealed the tight win.
“Ayun, i-press lang natin sila and kumbaga, mag e-error din ‘yan, bibigay din ‘yan. Mawawalan din ng composure ‘yan so kapit-kapit lang kami,” said Angels head coach Jerry Yee on what he told her players in the final stretch of the decider.
Soltones led Petro Gazz’s huge fight back in the fourth set, catching two powerful attacks coming from Daquis. She also made the differential hits that kept the Angels alive. Then Pablo and Palma took over to send the game to a fifth set.
“Laban lang eh, hindi pa naman tapos. So, up to the last point ‘yan eh. Pukpok lang nang pukpok, ang dami rin naming errors pero sige lang. Kapit and pukpok, yung mga ganitong klaseng games, klaseng kalaban, composure ang kailangan. So buti na lang naging composed yung team,” added Yee.
Myla Pablo, who played sparingly in Petro Gazz’s previous outings, dropped 18 points as a starter built on 16 attacks, a block, and an ace.
Maizo-Pontillas provided 14 points and eight receptions, while Soltones also recorded 14 along with 18 excellent digs. Palma added 11 points.
Chie Saet dished 36 excellent sets and scored four points to power the Angels’ offense. Meanwhile, Pineda and Cienne Cruz had 18 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions, respectively.
Over at the other side, Ces Molina’s 19-point outing went down the drain as the HD Spikers failed to close the series. She also had 23 excellent digs and 15 excellent receptions to finish with a triple-double.
Gel Cayuna tossed 43 excellent sets along with four points in the loss. Daquis added 17 points while Doria and Araneta had 13 and 11, respectively.
