Games Saturday

(Blue Eagle gym)

1 p.m. – Sta. Elena vs Bounty Fresh

4 p.m. – Pocari vs Iriga

6:30 p.m. – Laoag vs Baguio

 

Standings   W  L

Pocari         4   0

BaliPure      4  1

Air Force     4  1

NU               2  3

Laoag          2  3

UP               1  3

Iriga             1  3

Baguio         0  4

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

BaliPure wore down a stubborn Team Laoag with its power game in the third set and fashioned out a 28-26, 25-23, 25-17 victory Wednesday to assure itself of at least a playoff for a semifinals berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13-Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

Dragged into down-to-the-wire battle by the tough-defending Power Smashers in the first two sets, the Water Defenders proved steadier in the end in both times then imposed their will and strength in the third to complete the straight-set victory in 75 minutes.

Cebuana Gretchel Soltones of BaliPure (right) defies Laoag’s Katherine Villegas and Mylene Paat’s defense as she fires away a kill during their Shakey’s V-League encounter.
Cebuana Gretchel Soltones of BaliPure (right) defies Laoag’s Katherine Villegas and Mylene Paat’s defense as she fires away a kill during their Shakey’s V-League encounter.

It was BaliPure’s fourth straight win since dropping a four-setter to Air Force last May 30 and the Water Defenders poised themselves to join the unbeaten Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors into the Final Four of the season-opening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

“We came through when we needed it most in the first two sets,” said BaliPure player-coach Charo Soriano.

Alyssa Valdez, who rammed in 26 hits in BaliPure’s five-set escape over University of the Philippines in her first game in the league last Monday, slowed down with a 20-point game but it proved enough to help carry the team again to another victory in a match aired live over ABS-CBN Sports + Action Channel 23.

BaliPure top hitter Alyssa Valdez goes one-on-one versus Katherine Villegas of Team Laoag and came away with a power hit during their Shakey’s V-League showdown.
BaliPure top hitter Alyssa Valdez goes one-on-one versus Katherine Villegas of Team Laoag and came away with a power hit during their Shakey’s V-League showdown.

“We’re improving a lot. We’re playing a more aggressive game, especially in blocking,” said Soriano.

Cebuana Gretchel Soltones provided the needed backup with 11 hits while May Tajima put in an eight-point performance, half of which she delivered in the tightly-fought opening set that the Water Defenders had barely survived. The young lanky middle hitter went on to bag the game’s top honors.

BaliPure dominated the net and came through with 45 spikes against Laoag 34 with the former producing four blocks and 10 aces. But the Power Smashers kept the game close majority of the way with their gritty plays and counterattacks.

Jovielyn Prado rammed in eight kills while Jessica Galanza and Mylene Paat added six hits apiece and Katherine Villegas made five hits. But the Power Smashers just couldn’t unleash a strong finishing kick in each set and took their third loss against two victories.

Air Force racked up six of the first seven points in the decider and went on to complete a come-from-behind 23-25, 25-21, 13-25, 25-23, 15-8 victory over National U to re-join BaliPure at second later in the night.

The Jet Spikers, who outlasted the Lady Bulldogs in a thrilling four-set duel to stay alive, outplayed their rivals in the fifth, scoring almost at will in the early going before thwarting their rivals’ rally to post the victory, their fourth against a loss for at least a playoff for a semis seat.

NU dropped to 2-3.