BanKo leans on Nicole Tiamzon in gripping five-setter

MANILA, Philippines — On the brink in a tense-filled endgame, playmaker Jem Ferrer kept going to Nicole Tiamzon, and the former UP stalwart responded in style as BanKo-Perlas battled from 12-14 down in the decider and snatched a 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 17-15 victory over a shocked Motolite side in the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Reinforced Conference at Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna yesterday.

Tiamzon uncorked a through-the-block shot that tied the count at 15 in the decider then fired a power hit after Sue Roces kept the ball alive off Motolite’s Channon Thompson’s blast before coming through with another spike that sealed the victory and kept the Power Builders stunned for quite a while.

“We just needed to reset after going two sets down. Then in the fifth, patibayan na lang ng loob,” said Tiamzon, who finished with a top-scoring 19 points, including 18 attacks.

The victory snapped BanKo-Perlas’ alarming three-game skid as it improved to 3-5 with two games left in the double round elims.

Motolite, which came into the match brimming with confidence after carving a five-set escape over also-ran BaliPure Saturday, took its sixth loss against three wins and slipped to fifth.

BanKo-Perlas imports Sutadta Chuewulim and Yasemin Yildirim, overshadowed by Thompson and fellow reinforcement Krystel Esdelle majority of the match, stepped up late in the match, combining for key hits as the Perlas Spikers bucked two match points to force extension.

PetroGazz regained its winning ways – and the solo lead – as it subdued PacificTown Army, 29-27, 25-20, 25-14, in the other game, tightening up the race for the last two seats in the Final Four.

The Angels, whose seven-game run was snapped by the surging Creamline Cool Smashers (7-1) in four sets late Saturday, pulled through in a back-and-forth opening frame, dominated the next then shook off a shaky start in the third to win convincingly.

PetroGazz hiked its card to 8-1 heading to its final elims duel with Motolite on Saturday.

PacificTown Army kept its hold of the third spot but its 4-4 slate enabled BanKo-Perlas (3-5) and Motolite (3-6) to close in with two playdates left in the double-round elims.