PLDT High Speed Striker. PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—PLDT beats also running Choco Mucho 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 at the Premier Volleyball League All Philippines Conference at Philsports Arena on Thursday.
As far as PLDT’s semi-final standings were concerned, Mean Mendrez scored 21 points and Mika Reyes nailed her clutch attack in the third set, which helped the High Speed Hitters recover from a slow start and seal the third place with a 6-2 record in the knockout round.
Mendrez finished with 18 attacks, two aces and a block, while PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort battled his former team Petro Gazz in a best-of-three semi-final series, while Reyes scored 18 points built on 13 dunks, four blocks and an ace. Saturday, 6:30 PM, at the same venue in Pasig City.
Without the reigning champion and seeded Creamline, Alyssa Valdez faces fourth-seeded F2 Logistics in the other semi-final match at 16:00.
Veteran setter Rhea Dimaculangan accelerated the PLDT with 25 excellent sets, with Dell Palomata and Jovy Prado each contributing 12 points, while Mich Morente added 10 marks, including the game-winning attack that ended the game in two hours and 21 minutes.
Mika Reyes of PLDT attacks Choco Mucho’s defense. PVL PHOTO
Libero Kat Arado held the ground with 31 stakes, while Prado assisted him with 13 digs and 10 excellent receptions.
Ricafort said that their first set defeat was a wake-up call, as their goal at the start of this match was to seal the number 3 spot, preferring to face Petro Gazz, whom they beat in the knockout round in five sets. a Creamline side that dominates them in one sweep.
“(The first set) was a lesson for us. We must learn from such mistakes. If we can control the game, we should, because it’s hard to play against a team that no longer feels pressure,” said the PLDT coach in Filipino.
PLDT heeded the call and in the second set, substitute Erika Santos returned with timely kicks before Palomata nailed a block to Isa Molde to level the game in one set.
Choco Mucho, however, continued to struggle even after trailing 10-16 in the third round, and Kat Tolentino and Des Cheng ignited the team’s comeback that tied the frame to 19, before breaking PLDT in a stalemate at Molde 23-all. blockers.
Reyes gave the High Speed Hitters a 2-1 game advantage after his running attack and quick kick.
“Lahat kami nagreremind sa isa’t isa na kumuha ng isang point lang kasi ayaw rin namin isipin agad na matatalo kami sa set na yun. I think yung reminds me of Isa’t Isa mas nakatulong talaga para ma-push namin yung isang puntos na yun,” he said.
The High Speed Hitters walked away in the fourth round by 22-14, sending the Flying Titans to their worst PVL finishes since joining in 2019 without looking back.
Missing the semi-finals for the third tournament in a row, Choco Mucho won only two of the eight matches played by coach Dante Alinsundarin in his first season.
Molde and Tolentino led the Titans with 14 points each. Bea De Leon had 13 points, while Cheng and Maddie Madayag added eight each, and the latter scored five blocks.
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