MANILA – D’Navigators-Iloilo suffered its first defeat in the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference after bowing to Imus AJAA Spikers, 25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 22-25, 16-14, on Wednesday night at Paco Arena in Manila.
Hero Austria served as the hero for the AJAA Spikers in the fifth set with crucial connections as they recorded their sixth victory as against to three defeats and halt the Ilonggo’s unbeaten run at six games.
“Sobrang challenging, kasi may tendency kami talagang mag-relax pag nakakakuha ng set,” Austria, who spearheaded the offense for AJAA Spikers with 19 points, said after the match.
The AJAA Spikers failed to sustain their big romps in the first and third sets as they allowed Jade Disquitado and D’Navigators-Iloilo to dominate in the second and fourth set to force a decider.
But the D’Navigators-Iloilo struggled in the fifth set, particularly after Disquitado rotated at the back although they kept it close all throughout that set before Austria’s heroics came for Imus.
Kim Malabunga backed Austria with a solid 18-point performance, including 14 kills, while Ridzuam Muhali and Ronniel Rosales produced 14 points apiece and Francis Saura added 11 markers that more than underscored Imus’ balanced scoring.
“It’s a nice game, nakaka-excite, Iloilo is a good team, and has this power of floor defense. So I told my setter (Ish Polvorosa) to create set plays that would baffle the D’Navigators, especially their blocking and floor defense,” said Imus coach Sammy Acaylar.
Disquitado saw his 32-point explosion go for naught as D’Navigators-Iloilo failed to pull off another five-setter of a win. Jerome Cordez, Mfena Gwaza and Neil de Pedro also combined for 34 points for the losing team.
D’Navigators-Iloilo will have a chance to return to their winning ways when they face top-seed Cignal HD Spikers, the only undefeated team in the tournament with 8-0 slate, on Friday evening.
In the first game, Santa Rosa City Lions bounced back from their five-set loss to the Ilonggos last week with a 26-24, 26-24, 25-22 straight set victory of National University-Archipelago./PN
