Standings
PLDT 7 0
Army 6 1
Cagayan Valley 5 2
Meralco 4 3
Navy 3 4
Perpetual 2 5
Baguio 1 6
Coast Guard 0 6
Games Thursday
(Semifinals)
12 noon – Army vs Meralco
2 p.m. – Cagayan vs PLDT
PRESS RELEASE
Aby Maraño came away with a 17-hit game as Meralco rolled past Coast Guard, 25-20, 25-20, 25-20, and into the semifinal round of the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan City Tuesday.
The Power Spikers imposed their will early with their power game while pouncing on the Lady Dolphins’ poor set-ups to fashion out the one-hour, 11-minute victory, their second straight to close out their elims campaign in the season opening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.
Meralco ended up with a 4-3 slate, edging Navy, which had a 3-4 mark, for No. 4 as the Power Spikers joined the PLDT Home Ultera, Army and Cagayan Valley in the semis featuring the league’s four top teams.
The back-to-back victories also primed up Meralco against defending champion Army at the start of the semis round tomorrow. Cagayan and PLDT tangle in the other match tipped to go down-to-the-wire.
The top two teams after the single round semis will dispute the crown in a best-of-three series starting May 21, according to the organizing Sports Vision.
With Maraño on the firing end and Charleen Cruz providing backup with eight hits, the Power Spikers unloaded 47 kills as against the Lady Dolphins’ 31 with Angelica Legacion upstaging Sarah Jane Espelita by accounting for 21 of the team’s 37 excellent sets. Espelita, the league’s top setter, could only come up with 17.
Skipper Steph Mercado added seven markers while Faye Guevara, Fille Cainglet-Cayetano and Arianna Angustia combined for 15 points for the Power Spikers, who also produced seven blocks.
Meanwhile, the Meralco-Coast Guard match will be aired Wednesday starting at 1 p.m. over GMA News TV Channel 11.
