PayMaya thumps Tacloban in opener

MANILA, Philippines — PayMaya overwhelmed Tacloban in nearly all departments to fashion out a 25-8, 33-31, 25-20 victory at the start of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

The High Flyers rode high on imports Tess Rountree and Shelby Sullivan on offense as the duo combined for 31 of the squad’s 50 attacks, out-hitting the entire Tacloban squad, which produced just 29 hits.

Fancied Creamline posted a more convincing win later in the day, beating PetroGazz, 25-18, 25-16, 25-13, with returning Thai import Kuttika Kaewpin firing 17 hits, Alyssa Valdez raining down six aces and finishing with 14 markers and Michele Gumabao backing them up with nine points.

“Coach Tai (Bundit) really prepared us well. Hopefully, we’ll be more consistent and it will last until the end of the tournament,” said Valdez, looking for her first PVL championship.

Kaewpin complemented this early with new partner middle blocker Nikolina Asceric of Serbia with setter Jia Morada and new recruits libero Mel Gohing and Risa Sato likewise fitting into the system of the Thai mentor.

Kadi Kullerkann of Estonia scored 11 points for the Angels.

Earlier, PayMaya also outclassed Tacloban at the net (blocks), 8-1, and pounced on its rival’s poor service reception to score 11 aces against the Warays’ six. The High Flyers also had more digs, 47-36, and excellent sets, 25-15.

PayMaya, however, had to lean on back-to-back points by Aiko Urdas to pull through in a back-and-forth battle in the second after the Fighting Warays atoned for their miserable first set showing with a tough stand in the next.

“We only got to train as a complete team only last week, so the players are still adjusting (to the system),” said PayMaya coach Roger Gorayeb, referring to his FEU players who saw action in the UAAP finals, including Celine Domingo, Czarina Carandang, Angel Cayuna and Jerilli Malabanan.

“We slowed down in the second set. I just told them we should not play the way our opponent plays because they will control the tempo of our game,” added Gorayeb.

Rountree topscored with 22 points, Sullivan also had four blocks to finish with 15 markers while Grethcel Soltones added nine points for the High Flyers, who will next face the defending champion Pocari-Air Force Lady Warriors on Saturday in Tuguegarao, in a first out-of-town game in the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Asics and Mikasa.

In the men’s side, Vice Co. launched its maiden PVL campaign with a 25-13, 25-16, 27-29, 25-21 victory over Army.