Tigresses repulse Power Smashers, gain V-L semis

MANILA, Philippines – UST wore down Laoag in the decider, pulling off a 25-22, 25-27, 18-25, 27-25, 15-12 victory to clinch the first semifinal berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena last night.

Cherry Rondina soared coming off a combination play to deliver the kill that finished off the Power Smashers and gave the Tigresses the first seat in the next round with a 5-1 card.

EJ Laure picked up her game in the last two sets and turned in a 22-hit effort while Marivic Meneses added 14 points and Rondina chipped in 13 markers for the league’s winningest team with six championships.

Laoag, led by Grethcel Soltones’ 27 hits, slid to joint fifth at 2-3 with Air Force and UP.

Earlier, Air Force checked its two-game slide with a methodical 25-11, 25-19, 25-8 victory over a hapless Coast Guard side to keep its slim semifinals hopes alive.

The Jet Spikers imposed their will on the net while pouncing on the Lady Dolphins poor reception and floor defense to post the lopsided 60-minute win in a big rebound from their four-set and shutout losses to the Laoag Power Smashers and BaliPure Water Defenders, respectively, last week.

Despite the victory, Air Force, runner-up to Pocari Sweat in the Open Conference early this year, remained tied for sixth with UP at 2-3 and will need to sweep its last two games against UP and Customs and hope that three from Pocari, BaliPure, Laoag and UP won’t go over four wins to force a playoff for the last semis seat in the season-ending conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

The Lady Dolphins actually put up a gutsy stand in the second set and kept the game close but a series of mishits enabled the Jet Spikers to pull away again in the end.