Power Pinoys yield to Qatar, bow out of Asian volley tiff

MANILA, Philippines – PLDT Home TVolution faced a more experienced, well-funded Al Rayyan of Qatar and suffered a painful 25-17, 25-14, 25-21 defeat to end the country's hopes of gate-crashing into the semifinals of the 2014 Asian Men's Volleyball Club Championship presented by PLDT Home Fibr at the MOA Arena in Pasay City on Monday.

The Power Pinoys were just no match for the Qataris, a seven-time winner in this annual tournament, and its Italian import Christian Savani, who peppered the host spikers with an array of hits that quashed whatever hopes the former have for an upset in this event staking a slot in the World Champions in Brazil next month.

The 32-year-old Savani, a good-looking tattooed spiker who captained the Italian national team for 12 straight years before accepting a lucrative offer worth a whopping $40,000 or about P2 million to play for Qatar, flustered the Power Pinoys with a match high 19 hits, including 17 on kills.

"I'm happy right now that we won," said Savani, who was part of the Italian team that snared a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and a bronze in the 2012 London Games.

The win arranged Qatar an interesting semis showdown with Kondensat Kazakhstan, which smashed South Gas Club Sports Iraq, 25-21, 25-16, 25-20, earlier while relegating the Phl in the consolation pool where it has a chance to finish as high as fifth place.

And the Filipinos will have to do it against a familiar foe, an Iraqi squad which handed them an embarrassing 25-22, 25-19, 25-18 defeat in the group stages of this tournament supported 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.

"Hopefully we could (avenge our earlier loss to Iraq)," said Phl coach Francis Vicente.

Down two sets, the Filipinos put up a gallant final stand and seized 11-9 and 13-12 leads, the last one capped by a missile-like ace by Jason Ramos.

For a while there, boisterous Filipino fans, who filled a quarter of the venue, got into the Qataris' nerves including Ibrahim Mohamed Saeed, who was slapped a yellow card for arguing a lifting call assessed of him by first referee.

It was a short-lived uprising as Savani took charge from there by scoring three of Qatar's next four points to regain the lead, 16-14, and never looked back from there.

Earlier, defending champion Matin Varamin Iran survived a serious resistance put up by upset-conscious Chinese Taipei with a heart-pounding 24-26, 25-21, 27-25, 25-22 victory to barge into the semifinals.

Sharifat Mostafa, Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Mirzajanpour Mojtaba and Mikaeil Tajer took turns in coming through with crucial hits after crucial hits to finish with 14, 13, 13 and 10 hits, respectively, fend off repeated challenge by the stubborn Taiwanese, who fielded in their national team players.

"They're quick, good thing we adjusted quickly and kept our composure," said Iran's Italian coach Danielle Bagnoli.

Iran will play the winner of the Lebanon-China showdown at press time.

Although it was the Iranians third four-set game in four matches, this one against the Taiwanese was the longest and toughest as it pushed the former to their limits in a match that lasted almost two hours.

Huang Chien Feng kept Taipei in the match as he led all hitters with 22, including 18 on attacks against an Iran defense.