Hot Blaze Spikers stake clean card vs Troopers

MANILA, Philippines - Petron hopes to come out strong following a long break as it puts its unbeaten slate on the line against Generika-Army at resumption of the PLDT Home-Philippine Superliga (PSL) All-Filipino Conference volleyball tournament at the Cuneta Astrodome today.

The Blaze Spikers swept their first three games but are in for a tough challenge against the Lady Troopers at 2 p.m. in the women’s division even as PLDT Air Force tangles with Cignal in a duel of fancied teams in the men’s side.

PLDT Air Force is also on a roll, winning its first five matches but Cignal is out to snap its run while fueling its own drive in the country’s premier club tournament supported by PLDT Home DSL and backed by Mikasa, Asics, Mueller Tapes, Jinling Sports Equipment, LGR, Bench and Healthway Medical.

The PLDT Air Force-Cignal match is set at 4 p.m. while Systema and Via Mare clash in the main dish at 6 p.m., also in men’s section of the competition organized by Sports Core with Solar Sports as official broadcast partner.

After sweeping the first round in impressive fashion, the Power Attackers clobbered Instituto Estetico Manila, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22, to stretch their run to five before the league flies to Cebu on July 5 for its first-ever out-of-town games dubbed as “Spike on Tour” at the University of San Carlos gym.

But focus will be on Petron and its star rookie Dindin Santiago.

A 6-foot-2 gem of a spiker from the National University, Santiago has piled up a total of 91 points in three games for the Blaze Spikers.

In fact, in their 25-22, 25-13, 26-24 win over erstwhile unbeaten RC Rola-Air Force, Santiago delivered 23 points before being slowed down by cramps in the crucial stretch of the match. It was her lowest output after nailing 37 and 31 hits in their first two outings.

“She is the anchor of her team. She will be our biggest problem,” said Lady Troopers coach Rico de Guzman, whose wards are on a three-game roll, thanks to the return of veteran setter Tina Salak.

De Guzman noted that he wants to see the kind of defensive intensity which the Lady Troopers showed in their 25-21, 27-29, 25-20, 25-21 stoppage of the Raiders, which was their last game before the league took a two-week break to give way for the Cagayan Friendship Games.

In that game, the Lady Troopers shackled the hard-hitting troika of Judy Caballejo, Joy Cases and Iari Yongco while creating more room for Salak, Mary Jean Balse, Rachel Ann Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga to operate on the offensive end.

Aside from Santiago, also expected to contribute offensively are former Ateneo ace Gretchen Ho, setter Mary Grace Masangkay and Sandra Delos Santos while libero Jen Reyes will take care of the floor defense.