PVL: Motolite outlasts B Pure

Games today (Alonte Sports Arena, Biñan)
2 p.m. – BanKo-Perlas vs Motolite
4 p.m. – PacificTown Army vs PetroGazz

Motolite battled back from two sets down and outhit BaliPure in a tense-filled endgame, hacking out a 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-14, 15-12 decision to bolster its semifinal bid in the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Reinforced Conference at the packed Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

Power-hitting Channon Thompson unloaded 27 kills, including seven in the decider, and fellow import Krystel Esdelle stepped up and fired two clutch hits for a 24-point effort as the Power Builders notched their third win in the last four games to seize solo fourth at 3-5 behind the third running PacificTown Army Lady Troopers (4-3).

Idle BanKo-Perlas slid to fifth at 2-5.

Myla Pablo of Motolite (PVL photo)
Myla Pablo of Motolite (PVL photo)

In a fifth set that featured five deadlocks and two lead changes, the Power Builders surged ahead at 12-9 on Thompson’s back-to-back attacks and at 13-9 on Esdelle’s power hit. But the Danijela Dzakovic countered with three straight points of her own, including a dropball that closed the gap again at 12-13.

But after the left-handed Esdelle unloaded a crosscourt corner hit to move Motolite to match point, the Power Builders took the victory the way they did in snatching a five-setter over the PacificTown Army Troopers last June 16 – off a miscue of their rivals.

Skipper Grazielle Bombita, who had complemented well with Dzakovic and BaliPure’s other reinforcement in Alexandra Vajdova majority of the way, soared for a hit but came up short, the ball barely reaching the net, enabling the Power Builders to clinch the point and the match while reaching No. 4 after dropping their first four games.

Trailing Motolite, 13-14, in the fifth, PacificArmy also fouled up on their third ball due to miscommunication, allowing the Power Builders to snatch the win last Sunday.

Local ace Myla Pablo continued to play limited minutes but the rest of the Motolite locals, including Isa Molde, Genn Layug, Joy Soyud, Toni Rose Ponce, Fen Embas, Aie Gannaban and Ariella Estranero, more than made up for the slack as they outhustled their counterparts to help pound out the tough victory.

BaliPure, which drew 18 points from Djakovic, fell to 0-8.

Meanwhile, action shifts to Biñan, Laguna today (Sunday) as Motolite and PetroGazz cap their grueling back-to-back weekend schedules against BanKo-Perlas and PacificTown Army, respectively.

The Power Builders take on the Perlas Spikers at 2 p.m. while the Angels, who were playing the Creamline Cool Smashers at presstime, face the Lady Troopers at 4 p.m. at the Alonte Sports Arena.

BanKo-Perlas swept Motolite in the first round last June 5 but the Power Builders have recovered of late, winning three of the last four games to bounce back into semis contention.

The Angels also crushed the Lady Troopers in three last June 8 but the latter are out to even things up and firm up their own Final Four drive.