Jet Spikers repulse Lady Warriors in 5

MANILA, Philippines – Air Force rallied from seven points down in the fourth then outplayed Pocari Sweat in the decider to steal a 17-25, 25-20, 15-25, 26-24, 15-11 victory in the opener of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference Finals at the Philsports Arena in Pasig last night.

Joy Cases came through with three hits in varying forms in the fifth to help shove the Lady Jet Spikers to a 10-6 lead then May Ann Pantino and Jocemer Tapic took over in the stretch to complete their come-from-behind victory and move Air Force a win from nailing its breakthrough victory in the country’s premier women’s volley league sponsored by Shakey’s.

Pantino and Tapic accounted for four of Air Force’s last five points with the former scoring on an off-the-block spike and a kill and the latter blasting in two hits, including the clincher that the Lady Warriors had failed to return.

Trailing 1-2 and down 3-10 in the fourth, the Jet Spikers rallied behind solid spiking and superb blocking while pouncing on their rivals’ erratic service reception and faulty attacks to complete their comeback.

Air Force, back in the hunt after a two-year leave, guns for a sweep on Saturday, also at the Philsports Arena.

Earlier, BaliPure went to Janine Marciano and Gretchel Soltones in the absence of Alyssa Valdez as it wore down Laoag, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 19-25, 15-11.

Marciano, who played college ball for San Beda, and Soltones, the reigning NCAA MVP also tipped to clinch the league’s coveted award, unloaded 25 and 20 hits, respectively, to give the Water Defenders a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three showdown.

Skipper Valdez missed the game to backstop Ateneo in the ASEAN University Games in Singapore.

But Marciano, Soltones and company proved they can get the job done.

“Everyone really stepped up, that‘s what I love about this team,” said BaliPure player-coach Charo Soriano.

“It’s sociological in any unit that once a leader is out, everyone wants to step up and that’s what we saw earlier with Janine and of course Gretchel being co-captain, she really took the lead,” she added.

Jem Ferrer also made things happen offensively, coming through with a season-high 62 excellent sets, besting her 61-set effort during the elimination round.

But it was Marciano’s return to being outside hitter, her natural position, from a middle spiker that spiked BaliPure’s victory.

“We were forced to rotate her (Marciano) to play middle but she was back to her old position as outside hitter in this game,” said Soriano. “Being a middle helped her a lot in terms of all-around play. She’s a lot more versatile now and she embraced her role for what it is and I’m very proud of her.”

Soltones hit a killer of a spike that snapped the Power Smashers’ last-ditch rally in the fifth set which the Water Defenders dominated after racking up four of the first five points.