THE Petro Gazz Angels rode the momentum of their scintillating five-set win the previous night to take down the Cignal HD Spikers, 25-21, 28-26, 15-25, 25-21, to set up a title showdown with early finalist Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference.
The Angels unleashed a strong finishing kick to clinch the opening set, pounced on Rachel Anne Daquis’ sidelining due to cramps late in the second then rallied from a third set defeat to win the virtual duel of spurts in the fourth and complete their surprise 2-1 victory over the hard-luck HD Spikers in their best-of-three semis series at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan on Monday night.
The four-set triumph came not long after Petro Gazz defeated Cignal in a classic showdown last Sunday, 25-22, 21-25, 22-25, 26-24, 18-16. That victory forged the rubbermatch on Monday, April 4, for the right to clash with the Cool Smashers in the finals. Game One starts on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The Cool Smashers swept the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in their side of the Final Four, extending their unbeaten run in the tournament they ruled in smashing fashion in 2018-19 before yielding it to Chery Tiggo in the league’s inaugural pro staging in Ilocos Norte last year.
Averting a sweep, the HD Spikers took the first three points in the fourth, but the Angels countered with a four-point binge and the latter came away with another four-hit run to break away from a tight 8-7 count in the set’s first changeover.
The Angels stayed in command at 17-13 and 23-18 and after the HD Spikers, reeling from the loss of their skipper, pulled within two at 21-23 on a block off Myla Pablo’s push, Soltones foiled the HD Spikers' fightback with a power hit and Pablo closed out with an ace that landed short of reach of Jerrili Malabanan, triggering a celebration for the Angels, who had to beat the loaded F2 Logistics Cargo Movers to get to the semis against one of the league's two unbeaten squads.
It was a sorry setback for Cignal HD, which surprised the talent-laden field with a sweep of their group prelims and then besting BaliPure in the quarters to reach the semis following a last-place finish last year marred by a single win in nine matches. (JNP)