Iraqis oust Power Pinoys in Asian volleyball tiff

Games Friday: (Mall of Asia Arena)

12 nn -- Japan vs Vietnam (Cuneta Astrodome)

2 p.m. – Hong Kong vs Turkemistan

4 p.m. – Qatar vs Oman

6 p.m. – Taipei vs United Arab Emirates

MANILA, Philippines – Iraq's South Gas Sports Club pierced the Philippines' PLDT Home TVolution's winning bubble with an emphatic 25-22, 25-19, 25-18 victory in the 2014 Asian Men's Volleyball Club Championship presented by PLDT Home Fibr at the MOA Arena in Pasay City Thursday.

Headed by tall, strong European imports, the Iranians needed to parry an opening set challenge by the Filipinos before cruising in the last two sets to clinch their first victory in this tournament organized by Sports Core and in partnership with the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF).

Bulgarian Aleksandaron Amaniev Metodi and Hungarian Baroti Arpad served as the backbones to Iran's attacks and net defense especially in the second set when the power-playing pair pounced on the Nationals' maze of errors and poor reception.

The 6-6 Metodi bombarded the Power Pinoys with 15 hits, including 13 on kills, while the 6-5 Arpad unloaded 12 hits himself he laced with nine spikes to help send the Iranians a win closer to the quarterfinals of this event backed by Mikasa, Healthway Medical, Maynilad, Gerflor Spurway, Senoh Equipment, STI, PSC, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto and MMDA Chairman lawyer Francis Tolentino.

In the end, height proved might for Iran.

"Philippines was very good but they didn't have enough height," said Iraq coach Khalaf Abdul Sa Alaa, whose team boasts of an average height of 6-2, way taller than the Power Pinoys, whose biggest player is 6-2 Australian reinforcement Cedric LeGrand.

Iraq guns for another win against Mongolia tomorrow that will send it straight to the next round.

In contrast, it spoiled the Filipinos' outright entry to the quarters a couple of days after opening its campaign with a bang following a merciless 25-13, 25-23, 25-16 rout of the Mongolians.

For their sake, the Filipinos should pray for an Iraq win over Mongolia or face the possibility of being eliminated via tiebreaker should the three wind up in a three-way logjam for the two quarters berths staked in Group A.

Phl coach Francis Vicente is confident though that Iraq will beat Mongolia.

"I think Iraq will win over Mongolia and we have a good chance of making it to the next round," said Vicente.

But you will never really know.

Alnakran Abdilla emerged the lone shinning light for the host country after scoring 11 hits, 10 coming on attacks.

After a strong effort in the opener, LeGrand wasn't that grand as he was dwarfed by the taller, more agile Metodi and Arpad, who neutralized the former's attacking.

All games are televised live on TV5, the official broadcast partner of the AMCC. The tournament also has Magic 89.9, Wave 89.1, Jam 88.3, Play 99.5 and KLite 103.5 as radio partners.