Troopers stun Malaysians in V-League Invit'l

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Army pounced on Malaysia’s poor reception and leaned on the Carolino sisters’ power game as it came away with a 25-14, 25-18, 25-21 victory at the start of the V-League Invitational Club Championship before a big crowd at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Michelle and Marietta Carolino rammed in 12 kills apiece while the Troopers scored nine points off the serve, including five from Mary Jean Balse, to complete the straight-set romp that augured well in their campaign in the short tournament among four teams.

Michelle added two blocks for a 15-hit production while Marietta and Balse ended up with 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Troopers, who looked sharp and ready for another title crack after dominating the Shakey’s V-League second conference recently.

The Malaysians struggled with their reception and floor defense and failed to neutralize the Carolino sisters, who stepped up their attacks on both sides to prime themselves up for an explosive showdown with the fancied Vietnam side in today’s resumption of the four-day event sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Vietnam, powered by two Russian hitters and a five-time SEA Games runner-up, likewise geared up for a faceoff with Army by beating Ateneo, 25-15, 25-16, 25-17, later in the day.

Anactaxia Trernai gave a sample of what to expect for the Troopers by unleashing a 12-attack performance while Ekaterina Martynova topscored with 14 hits, including three blocks.

Nguyen Thi Ngoan also scored 12 points while Nguyen Thi Huong and Tran Thi Loan added nine hits apiece to underscore Vietnam’s balanced offensive sock.

Alyssa Valdez and Dzi Gervacio fired 11 hits apiece for the Lady Eagles, who could not get their offense going as Fille Cainglet struggled to finish with nine hits in the tournament organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Accel.