BANKO Perlas Spikers tries to keep its hold of the solo lead as Perlas Spikers gun for a third consecutive win against the Iriga-Navy Lady Oragons in the quarterfinal round of Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Season 2 Reinforced Conference today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Brimming with confidence from two straight-set wins in the quarterfinals, the Perlas Spikers are favored over the Lady Oragons in 6:30 p.m. main game.
A win by BanKo, which halted Pocari Sweat-Air Force’s two-game streak, 25-19, 25-14, 25-22, on Saturday, would put the Perlas Spikers closer to joining Creamline and PayMaya in the semifinals.
Pocari Sweat-Air Force, meanwhile, tries to regain its winning ways when it battles bounce back-seeking BaliPure at 4 p.m.
The Lady Warriors, powered by the troika of Myla Pablo and imports Arielle Love and Madeline Palmer, shoot for solo second place as they fell to a 2-1 win-loss record in a tie with idle PetroGazz.
The young Water Defenders, composed of high-school stars from Nazareth School of National University, continue to pin their hopes on imports Janisa Johnson and Alexis Matthews to improve to 1-1 and recover after a 23-25, 18-25, 14-25 defeat to the Angels also on Saturday.
The Perlas Spikers have been consistent so far with imports Kia Bright and Jutarat Montripila getting into the groove with locals Sue Roces, Jem Ferrer, Nicole Tiamzon and Dzi Gervacio.
“We went through a lot during the first round. Our imports and locals, particularly the setters, had a hard time communicating inside the court,” said BanKo Head Coach Dong de la Cruz, referring to their forgettable 3-4 finish in the preliminary round.
“But in this round [quarterfinals], they already jelled and they have the connection. Our imports have fully adjusted,” he added.