Power Builders rebound, rip Red Spikers

MANILA, Philippines — Myla Pablo flashed top form as Motolite bounced back from a shutout loss to Creamline last Wednesday with a 25-22, 25-19, 25-19 victory over a debuting Chef’s Classic in the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Open Conference yesterday at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Pablo, who failed to get going with an 11-point output against the powerhouse Cool Smashers, found her rhythm and touch this time, blasting in 17 attack points and coming away with three blocks to emerge the game’s best player.

“My coaches told me that I needed to step up and I did after a so-so start against Creamline,” said the former National U standout who also credited the team’s aggressiveness and teamwork plus lots of adjustments in their emphatic win over the Red Spikers.

The Power Builders had some shaky moments in the opening set and late in the third but put their act together in time to complete the straight-set triumph for a 1-1 card in the centerpiece tournament of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Tots Carlos backed Pablo with nine points, including three aces, while Maristela Layug, Isa Molde and Bernadette Flora each scored four points for the Power Builders, who produced 56 excellent digs, eight more than their rivals, with Fil-Am Iris Tolenada accounting for 15 of the team’s 25 excellent sets against Chef’s Classic Rebecca Cuevas’ 11.

Nieza Viray topscored for the Red Spikers with 10 hits with skipper Justine Tiu adding eight points and Cecilia Bangad and Bien Juanillo combining for 11 markers.

Meanwhile, Creamline goes for a third straight win as it tries to pounce on Chef’s Classic in today’s resumption of hostilities, also at the Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The defending champion Cool Smashers ripped the returning Air Power Jet Spikers, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15, and the Power Builders, 25-14, 25-15, 25-14, to seize early control of the nine-team field with the crowd favorites expected to use their power and experience against the young Red Spikers in a bid to extend their early surge in the tournament backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.