Troopers foil Suns in 5, reach finals

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Army survived Cagayan Valley’s power-hitting Thai imports as it eked out a thrilling 25-22, 26-24, 26-28, 23-25, 15-13 victory to clinch the first finals berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 Third Conference at The Arena in San Juan City last night.

Dindin Santiago pounded her way to a team-high 20 hits, including 16 kills. while Nerissa Bautista came away with 18 hits, including the match-clinching point when she beat Cagayan’s Analyn Joy Benito in a net battle as the Lady Troopers gained another crack at the championship after sweeping their same rivals in the last Open Conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

Carmina Aganon, a former National University standout like Santiago, also shone with 16 hits while ace setter Tina Salak had 13 points.

Jovelyn Gonzaga, the Finals MVP of the Open Conference, contributed 12 hits she highlighted with a vicious kill that shattered the 13-all count in the fifth before Bautista overplayed Benito to end the two-hour, 14-minute encounter.

Unlike in their first round triumph where they battled from 1-2 down and won by two points in the fifth, the Troopers fended off the Rising Suns’ own fightback to hack out the win in the match that was close throughout. It was Army’s fifth straight victory in the double-round robin tournament among four teams in the season-ending conference of the league where it all started and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

The gritty Troopers also put to naught Cagayan’s Thai reinforcements Saengmuang Patcharee and Amporn Hyapha’s solid 22-point games and dropped the Rising Suns to 2-2 in a tie with the idle PLDT Home Telpad Turbo Boosters. The Thai duo missed the team’s first three games due to FIVB permit woes but came out strong in third and fourth where the Suns fought out several matchpoints to force a decider.

Cagayan nipped Army, 66-65, in spikes but the Lady Troopers more than made up for this by coming away with 15 blocks, including four from Carmina Aganon and three from Balse, and pounced on the Suns’ poor reception with 10 service aces.

“We came here prepared because we knew we can’t beat them (Cagayan) without our blocking,” said Army coach Rico de Guzman. “But I think Cagayan is the team that we will face again in the finals so we used the opportunity to see them play.”

Salak kept Army’s open and middle spikers busy by producing 43 excellent sets as against Cagayan’s Relea Saet’s 38 with both teams coming through with similar 42 digs.

An off-form Rachel Ann Daquis saw action only in the first set and made one point.

Ma. Angeli Tabaquero added 11 points for Cagayan, which also drew 10 hits from Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and a combined 16 points from Janine Marciano, Joy Benito, Pau Soriano, Wenneth Eulalio and Saet.