Streakin’ Army routs PLDT, sets pace in Shakey’s V-L

Games Sunday

2 p.m. – PNP vs National U

4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP

MANILA, Philippines - Army turned its showdown with PLDT Home Telpad into a virtual workout as it fashioned out a surprisingly easy 25-18, 25-16, 25-15 victory to stretch its win run to four while snapping the Turbo Boosters’ own four-game streak in the Shakey’s V-League Season II Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

The Lady Troopers flaunted their awesome hitting skills, superb reception and intimidating net defense to finish off the Turbo Boosters in just 64 minutes and move three wins away from sweeping the single round elims of the mid-season conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

Cagayan Valley moved to solo third by scoring a similar straight-set 25-13, 25-22, 25-20 win over Air Force in the other game as Rose Vargas, Aiza Maizo and Pau Soriano combined for 36 hits.

It was th Rising Suns’ third win in four games while dropping the Raiders to fourth with a 3-2 card.

Meanwhile, the Army-PLDT duel, along with the Air Force-Cagayan clash will be shown on GMA News TV Channel starting at 1 p.m. today (Friday), according to the organizing Sports Vision.

Former MVPs MJ Balse, Nene Bautista and Jovelyn Gonzaga fired 12 hits apiece while Rachel Ann Daquis added 11 in a well-balanced attack that produced 43 kills for Army, nearly doubling the 24-attack effort by the Turbo Boosters, the league’s newcomers who made quite an impression by sweeping their first four games via straight-set romps.

But the Lady Troopers, winners in this conference in Season 8, cut short their rivals’ surge as they outhit, outplayed and overpowered the Turbo Boosters to remain the lone unbeaten squad in the league where it all started.

“We respect PLDT Home Telpad so much that I told my players not to relax even when we were leading,” said Army mentor Rico de Guzman.