Power Builders sink erratic Water Defenders

MANILA, Philippines — Motolite roared past an erratic BaliPure side and came away with a lopsided 25-9, 25-20, 25-19 victory to join newcomer Choco Mucho in third place in the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan yesterday.

Rem Cailing produced 17 excellent sets and scored seven points as BanKo-Perlas kept its win-loss-win-loss-win run going, whipping Chef’s Classic, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16, in the other game.

Fil-Am Iris Tolenada kept the Power Builders’ hitters busy all-game with her superb playmaking skills with Myla Pablo, reaching top form, blasting in 10 kills and finishing with 12 markers and former UP stalwarts Tots Carlos and Aie Gannaban combining for 15 points.

The shutout victory was Motolite’s second straight after crushing Chef’s Classic last week as the Power Builders wheeled back into early contention after dropping their maiden game in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC to the powerhouse Creamline Cool Smashers last Aug. 14.

Meanwhile, UST and San Beda pulled through in  a pair of five-setters while FEU blasted Technological Institute of the Phl to bolster their respective bids in the PVL Season 3 Collegiate Conference.

Rookie Imee Hernandez took charge in the clutch, unloading six points, including back-to-back hits that gave UST a two-point cushion and the Tigresses hung tough to eke out a 21-25, 25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 15-12 victory over the surprisingly tough St. Benilde Lady Blazers for a 2-0 mark and a share of Pool B lead with Arellano.

Earlier, San Beda U outlasted Letran in the fifth to pull off a 21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-8, 15-11, win for a 1-1 card in Pool A while the Lady Tams dispatched the TIP Lady Engineers, 25-13, 25-22, 25-16, to tie St. Benilde in their side of the grouping. TIP fell to 0-2.