PERLAS battled back from a set down and survived Cignal HD in the next three to come away with a 20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-21 victory in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra on Thursday, July 29.
Veteran Sue Roces stepped up in the second and third sets, firing away hits on the run that sparked Perlas’ breakaway finishes after stumbling in the opening frame. The Spikers then sustained their charge in the fourth which they controlled on their way to the victory.
While the Perlas snapped its skid to keep its semis hopes alive with a 1-2 mark, Cignal HD’s downward spiral stretched to three straight for a 1-5 slate. The HD Spikers now need to sweep their last three games and hope only three teams would reach win No. 4 to force a playoff for the last semis seat.
The Spikers yielded six blocks, 3-9, but outhit their rivals, 56-42, with Nicole Tiamzon banging away 13 attacks, which Cherry Nunag and Heather Guino-o matched, while Roces backed them up with 11 hits and playmaker Angelica Cayuna produced nine points on top of her 24 excellent sets.
Janine Marciano had a 12-hit game and Norielle Ipac and Rosalyn Doria scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, but the HD Spikers failed to sustain their fine start and never recovered from their endgame foldup in the second set.
Flashing vintage form, Roces shattered a 19-all count in the second with back-to-back running attacks then closed it out with another pair of her signature play to highlight Perlas’ decisive 6-1 windup.
After Cayuna set up Villareal with a one-handed feed to shatter a 22-22 tally on the next frame, Roces again rose to the occasion, pumping in another pair of crosscourt hits on the run to give Perlas a 2-1 set lead.
The Spikers stayed in control in the fourth, taking the first technical timeout at 8-5 and holding sway at 16-12 and 23-19. (JNP)