MANILA – Petron Blaze Spikers cruised to its fifth straight win in the 2019 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix as it sent United VC crashing back to earth with a 25-12, 25-16, 25-20 beating on Tuesday night at the San Juan Arena.
Stephanie Niemer and Kath Bell had a spectacular performance with 18 and 17 points, respectively for the defending champions Blaze Spikers, which kept its hold of the top spot with 5-0 win-loss slate.
“Sobrang nakaka-proud kasi ginagawa talaga nila ‘yung best nila pagdating sa game, which is sa practice naman nakikita naman namin. Nag-stick kami sa game plan na ‘yun,” said Blaze Spikers head coach Shaq Delos Santos.
Import Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani tallied 13 points while Filipino-American Kalei Mau had 11 hits, including 14 excellent receptions and nine digs, for the UVC, which suffered its third loss in six games.
F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, on the other hand, also tallied its fifth consecutive victory in as many matches after a come-from-behind 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 victory over Generika-Ayala Lifesavers.
Lindsay Stalzer powered F2 Logistics’ offense with 26 points from 21 attacks, three blocks, and two aces while Ilongga Abigail Maraño added 14 points off six attacks, four blocks, and four aces.
After losing the first set, the Cargo Movers survived a tough challenge from the Lifesavers in the second frame as it pulled away from a slim 18-17 lead with hits from Victorinara Galang, Stalzer and Maraño.
Both squads battled to a tight conclusion in the third set with Stalzer unloading points for a close win. In the fourth set, F2 Logistics capitalized on the momentum and buried the Lifesavers in a 19-10 hole in the fourth frame to seal the win./PN
