Speed Boosters sink Suns, bag 3rd place

Games Saturday: (Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City)

11:30 a.m. – PLDT-My DSL vs Systema (men’s finals)

1:30 p.m. – TMS-Army vs Cignal (women’s finals)

MANILA, Philippines - PLDT-My DSL toughened up in the second and third sets and carved out a 25-17, 25-21, 25-23 victory over Cagayan Valley to clinch third place honors in the women’s division of the Philippine Super Liga (PSL) Volleyball Grand Prix at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City yesterday.

American imports Kaylee Manns and 6-foot-2 Savannah Noyes delivered 14 points each as the Speed Boosters bounced back from a sorry semifinals loss to finalist Cignal HD Spikers last Saturday.

“Our campaign is okay compared from last conference. At least we’re able to give the company a good finish,” said PLDT coach Roger Gorayeb, whose wards finished the conference with six wins in seven games.

The Lady Speed Boosters made a short work of the Lady Rising Suns in the opening set but had to fight it out with Cagayan Valley in next two. The Lady Rising Suns broke a 16-all count in the third frame with three straight points.

Cagayan Valley even took a 22-20 advantage but Manns took over and the Speed Boosters pounced on the Rising Suns’ Thai reinforcement Wanida Kotruang and skipper Angeli Tabaquero’s miscues to complete the straight-set win.

Cagayan Valley received an error point from Maru Banaticla but Noyes answered with a quick attack and the Lady Rising Suns surrendered the match with another miscue.

Cagayan Valley got 11 points each from Kotruang and Tabaquero while Thai guest player Patcharee Saengmuang didn’t return in the game after suffering a left ankle injury early in the second set and scored only three points.

It was the second straight conference that the Lady Rising Suns finished fourth, closing the season with three wins and four losses. 

Meanwhile, Japanese import Shinako Tanaka had a conference-record 36-point performance to help Petron salvage fifth place as the Blaze Spikers outlasted the RC Cola Raiders, 25-13, 20-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11.