Petron to blaze more trails

MANILA, Philippines — Moments after claiming their sixth championship in the Philippine Superliga, the Petron Blaze Spikers have set their sights on another crown this early – the All Filipino.

“We’re not done yet. We’ll work hard to win more titles,” said coach Shaq delos Santos.

The latest feat actually nearly didn’t materialize, no thanks to a gutsy F2 Logistics side that bucked a depleted roster to stun Petron, 25-20, 16-25, 25-23, 25-23, in the opener of their best-of-three series for the Grand Prix crown.

It wasn’t an ordinary loss but a setback that didn’t only snap the Blaze Spikers’ stirring 17-game unbeaten run in the tournament but also cast doubts on their ability to bounce back against a fired-up rival and keep the title.

But resiliency and character are two things the Blaze Spikers can boast of, not to mention determination, championship experience plus a big fighting heart.

They all came to fore in Game 2 as Petron overcame an early slip and fashioned out a vengeful 23-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-19 victory that set up the rubber match that re-installed the Blaze Spikers as the favorites.

They didn’t disappoint. With imports Kath Bell and Steph Niemer on the firing end and the local crew outdoing themselves in a game they could not afford to lose, Petron pounded out a 26-24, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19 triumph in the decider to remain the PSL queens before a packed crowd at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan late Saturday.

Niemer sustained her brilliant Game 2 performance with a whopping 31-hit output in sudden death while the hard-hitting Bell finished with 16 points for the Blaze Spikers, who rebounded from a third-set meltdown with a strong showing in the fourth to frustrate the Cargo Movers.

Niemer went on to bag the MVP honors along with the Best Scorer trophy that more than washed up all the pent-up emotions of a failed bid three years ago when she and the Blaze Spikers yielded to Lindsay Stalzer, Ariel Usher and the Foton Tornadoes in a thrilling final series.

Bell also took the Best Opposite Spiker plum while Rhea Dimaculangan was named as Best Setter.