High Flyers repel Oragons, soar to top

MANILA, Philippines — PayMaya blew a four-point lead but rallied from five down late in the fourth frame as it hacked out a 25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23 victory over Iriga-Navy to grab the solo lead in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Batangas City Sports Coliseum yesterday.

Import Tess Rountree hammered in four of her 24 points in the stretch to anchor the High Flyers’ fightback, made easier by the Lady Oragons’ wobbly finish marred by three late miscues, the last a service error by Shyra Cabriana.

 PayMaya’s one-hour, 56-minute victory was a big bounce-back from its shutout loss to the Creamline Cool Smashers in Tuguegarao last week and it shoved the High Flyers to the top of the heap with a 3-1 card in the single round elims.?

“We just tried to keep the ball flying and in play,” said Rountree after delivering another big game spiked by 20 attack points, two blocks and two aces.

Shelby Sullivan and Aiko Urdas backed her up with 11 markers each while ace playmaker Jasmine Nabor produced 22 excellent sets and libero Lizlee Anne Pantone came away with 29 digs and 15 excellent receptions for the High Flyers.

After seizing a 2-1 set lead, PayMaya broke away from a 6-all count in the fourth by racking up four straight hits. But Iriga, with American Macy Ubben taking charge with her power hits, tied the count at 15 then the Lady Oragons won six of the next seven points to surge ahead at 21-16.

BaliPure later subdued Tacloban, 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, to join Creamline at second at 2-1. The Fighting Warays dropped to fourth at 2-2.

American reinforcement Janisa Johnson unloaded 27 hits, including 22 kills and five kill blocks to power the Water Defenders to their second victory.