PSL Grand Prix Day #4: PLDT shocks TMS, Cagayan Valley overwhelms RC Cola; Systema survives Maybank for first win
Team Standings (Women’s Division):
PLDT MyDSL 2-0
Cagayan Valley 2-1
TMS-Philippine Army 2-1
Cignal HD 1-1
Petron 0-2
RC Cola 0-2
Team Standings (Men’s Division):
Giligan’s 2-0
PLDT MyDSL 1-1
Systema 1-1
Maybank 0-2
GAMES ON SATURDAY (November 23th at Ynares Sports Complex, Pasig City)
2:00PM (W) Cignal vs. RC Cola
4:00PM (W) Petron vs. TMS-Philippine Army
6:00PM (M) Systema vs. Giligan’s
YNARES SPORTS COMPLEX, Pasig City—Kaylee Manns once again became the centerpiece of the offense as PLDT MyDSL gave the erstwhile undefeated TMS-Philippine Army Lady Troopers a reality check via a straight sets spanking while Cagayan Valley bounced back from a first set setback to claim victory against winless RC Cola and Systema Tooth and Gum Care finally broke into the win column at the expense of Maybank in the ongoing preliminary round of the Philippine Super Liga (PSL) Grand Prix here.
(W) PLDT MyDSL def. TMS-Philippine Army—25-13, 25-20, 25-22
The Speed Boosters played an almost perfect first two sets in their straight sets conquest of the Lady Troopers, dealing the PSL Invitational champions its first loss in a surprisingly lopsided manner.
Reception was the key to the early success of Roger Gorayeb’s wards as practically all the attacks of the Lady Troopers were rejected at the net or dug up by the rugged floor defenders of the Speed Boosters during the initial stages of the match.
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Lizlee Ann Gata-Pantone—perhaps the greatest libero of all-time—showed the form that installed her as one of the best floor patrollers during her college days at Adamson University as she seamlessly kept rallies alive and made minced meat out of the best offense in the league by registering eighteen “excellents” (thirteen excellent digs and five excellent receptions). The heroics on defense by the Bicol lass allowed Manns to execute the offense for the Speed Boosters, to the tune of a league record (over three sets) of forty excellent sets. The former Iowa State Cyclone also scored eight points, most of which came from what is now being known as her trademark drop balls against a hapless Army floor defense.
So keen was the distribution of Manns that everyone who saw action for PLDT MyDSL was able to contribute on offense.
“She’s making a serious case for MVP consideration,” teammate Charo Soriano said after the match. “She makes volleyball so much fun.”
Veteran utility-spiker Suzanne Roces is now emerging as Manns’ favourite target as the former University of the East stalwart finished with fourteen points for the undefeated Speed Boosters, backstopped by former Kansas Jawhawk Savannah Noyes’ thirteen. Roces was named Player of the Game for the second straight time.
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PLDT MyDSL also clamped down on TMS’ leading scorer Wanitchaya Luangtonglang by limiting the Thai national pool member to a season-low six points—after coming off a 23 point explosion in the previous win against Cagayan Valley. The vaunted middle-hitters of the Lady Troopers were also contained as the combination of Mary Jean Balse and Jac Alarca could only combine for ten markers in the loss. TMS was led by the “Bionic Ilongga” Jovelyn Gonzaga with ten points, but no one else could help her out.
TMS now drops to 2-1 and will vent their ire on present co-cellar dweller Petron on Saturday (November 23rd). PLDT MyDSL next takes to the court on Wednesday (November 27th) also against the Blaze Spikers.
(W) Cagayan Valley def. RC Cola—23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-12
In the second match, Cagayan Valley overcame a sloppy start to eventually prevail in four sets against the RC Cola Raiders to bounce back into the win column after having its seventeen match winning streak snapped by TMS last Friday.
Not even the debut of former University of Santo Tomas star Bernice Co could stop the Rising Suns’ eventual onslaught as the Raiders once again played with a couple of players short when former national team campaigner Ivy Remulla and UP’s Southlyn Ramos failed to show up due to work commitments.
The first set, however, saw an inspired performance from the Raiders as they showed the aggression necessary to gain a substantial edge over Cagayan Valley.
The high-scoring duo of Chinese import Zhang Minghua and Thailand’s Sontaya Keawbundit kept the Rising Suns backpedalling as they bombarded the frontline relentlessly. RC Cola even led by as much as seven points in the twilight of the set and held on to survive a gritty Cagayan Valley rally led by national team utility-spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas.
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From the second set onwards, the Rising Suns dominated.
Wanida Kotruang recovered from her anemic performance against the Lady Troopers to come away with a team-high 23 points, most of which she poured in during the latter portions of the final three sets. The lack of ceiling of the Raiders became evident as well. RC Cola Head Coach Ronald Dulay had no recourse but to start untested centers Zhar Velez and Decie Montero and Cagayan Valley exposed their inexperience big time by targeting the Raiders’ frontline and tearing the defenses apart with a variety of attacks.
It also helped the Rising Suns’ cause that RC Cola was whistled for a staggering six rotation errors, four of which coming in crucial junctures of the third set when the Raiders were poised for a rally.
“Having one or two (rotation errors) in a match is unacceptable as it is, but having six is just mind-boggling,” a league official said.
Cagayan Valley showed no compassion in the fourth set by connecting on more than fifty percent of their attacks and completely bamboozled the opposing defenses for the statement triumph.
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Kotruang was supported by Maizo-Pontillas’ thirteen points while former Thai national team captain Patcharee Saengmuang and national team center Pau Soriano added twelve and ten markers, respectively. Zhang set a new tournament-high with 24 points in the loss—eclipsing Luangtonglang’s 23 set last Friday. Keawbundit chipped-in fourteen points, but no one else had a significant offensive contribution on the Raider’s end.
RC Cola searches for its first victory against idle Cignal HD on Saturday while Cagayan Valley tries to build a new winning streak against the HD Spikers this coming Wednesday.
(M) Systema def. Maybank—25-21, 24-26, 17-25, 25-17, 15-7
In the Men’s Division, the Systema Smashers and Maybank Tigers duelled each other in yet another five-set thriller that saw the first casualty in the tournament—the antennae at the net on the first referee’s side.
That happened in the at set point of the fourth set when Maybank center AJ Mallari detonated a down-the-line spike that sent the ball straight into the antennae, breaking the net paraphernalia into two clean pieces. It was the first time I had ever seen a volleyball antennae get destroyed, and according to league officials, so have they.
It was, however, a top quality match-up of two teams that were seeking its first victories.
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Systema, PLDT MyDSL’s opening day victim, leaned on its big men in former UAAP MVP AJ Pareja, former national team standout Rocky Honrade and youthful Chris Macasaet to gain an early advantage over the Tigers—who, in turn, relied on outside hitters Jasper Adorador and Ivan Bacolod to keep in step with the Smashers.
After losing the first set, Maybank began showing tremendous resolve as they clawed back from a big seven point deficit to take the second set. The rally starred Malaysian reinforcement Mohammed Ali Hamza Binh, whose back row attacks blitzed past the taller Systema blockers. Skipper Janley Patrona was also major catalyst in the run, orchestrating the offense flawlessly while the Smashers’ defenses began crumbling. Maybank was so in-sync that they hardly broke a sweat in taking the third set and come to within 25 points of finally breaking into the win column.
Systema had other plans, though, as Pareja, Honrade and Macasaet once again joined to forces to trounce the Tigers in the fourth set and send the match to a decider.
That’s when Macasaet—a former De La Salle University ace—began taking over, alongside former St, Benilde icon Angelo Espiritu. The duo became responsible for nine of the fifteen points necessary to claim victory and sent the Tigers to its second consecutive loss in this four team competition.
Macasaet and Pareja finished with seventeen points apiece for Systema, while Honrade and Espiritu added fifteen and twelve markers, respectively. Adorador topscored for Maybank with seventeen points, helped out by Bacolod’s twelve and Hamza Binh’s ten.
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Systema is now out to try and stop unscathed Giligan’s on Saturday, while Maybank attempts to avoid a preliminary round disaster as it takes on PLDT MyDSL this coming Wednesday.
BOXSCORES:
(W) PLDT MyDSL (2-0) def. TMS-Philippine Army (2-1)
PLDT—Roces 14, Noyes 13, Manns 8, Latigay 6, C. Soriano 5, Benting 3, Banaticla 3, Moralde 1, Guliman 1, Gata-Pantone (L) 0, Peñano (L) 0.
TMS—Gonzaga 10, Alarca 6, Luangtonglang 6, Balse 4, Salak 3, Daquis 3, Carolino 1, Murakoshi (L) 0, Nunag (L) 0, Bautista 0, Iratay 0, Cruz 0.
(W) Cagayan Valley (2-1) def. RC Cola (0-2)
CV—Kotruang 23, Maizo-Pontillas 13, Saengmuang 12, P. Soriano 10, Eulalio 5, de los Santos 5, Vargas 2, Reyes (L) 0, Jose 0, Benito 0, Dawis 0.
RC—Zhang 24, Keawbundit 14, Velez 4, Co 3, Agero 1, D. Montero 1, Gustilo (L) 0, J. Montero (L) 0, Garbin 0, Yumang 0, Castañeda 0.
(M) Systema (1-1) def. Maybank (0-2)
Systema—Macasaet 17, Pareja 17, Honrade 15, Espiritu 12, Rojas 8, Zamora 5, Clamor 2, Hu (L) 0, Bañaga (L) 0, Ordoñez 0.
Maybank—Adorador 17, Bacolod 12, Hamza Binh 10, Mallari 9, Patrona 6, de la Peña 4, Ucang (L) 0, Go 0, Marchadesh 0.
Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate) and email sportztackle@yahoo.com
