PVL on Tour visited Cebu City this weekend and played their last game at the USJ-R Coliseum last July 27, Sunday.
PLDT Goes 5-0 All Thanks to Kim Kianna Dy
Celebrating her 30th birthday last July 26, Kim Kianna Dy wanted to end their elimination schedule without a loss, as the PLDT High Speed Hitters took on the Galeries Tower Highrisers.
In the opening set, PLDT found themselves trailing for most of the frame, falling behind 15-17. However, the High Speed Hitters kept their composure and patiently waited for their chance. Their opportunity came as Galeries Tower began to falter under pressure, committing errors on both ends.
PLDT mounted a decisive 10-3 finishing run led by Kim Dy, Mika Reyes, and Jovielyn Prado. Libero Kath Arado even contributed a rare placement shot following a sharp dig, which gave PLDT an 18-17 lead that they never relinquished. Two consecutive net violations by Ysa Jimenez gave PLDT breathing room, but Galeries managed to trim the deficit to 21-20 after a Fajardo service miscue and a crosscourt hit from Jimenez. Still, PLDT closed it out with four unanswered points, with Reyes sealing the set.
Galeries Tower came into the second set eager to recover and matched PLDT early on. But a misfired attack from Jimenez gave the High Speed Hitters a 14-8 cushion. A six-point blitz, powered by Reyes’ well-placed attacks and deceptive drop balls, widened the gap to 21-12. Dy then fired a powerful kill to bring up set point, and Ronquillo’s long attack ended the frame.
The Highrisers showed early spark in the third set, taking a 6-2 lead and heading into the first technical timeout with an 8-5 advantage. But PLDT came out of the break with sharpened focus, unleashing five straight points capped by Dy’s third attack attempt to even the score at 8-all. An unforced error from Galeries gave PLDT the lead, and from there, the High Speed Hitters steadily widened the margin. The Highrisers couldn’t recover as PLDT cruised to the win to complete the sweep in one hour and 24 minutes.
FINAL SCORES = SET 1: 25-20, SET 2: 25-14, SET 3: 25-17
Kim Fajardo quarterbacked the offense of PLDT with 17 excellent sets, significantly outshining her opposite number Ivy Perez, who finished with just nine. Fajardo’s orchestration allowed Dy to top-score with 12 points, while Reyes and Prado added 10 markers each. Majoy Baron and Kiesha Bedonia chipped in seven and six, respectively.
On the Galeries side, rookie Jean Asis and France Ronquillo led the scoring with 11 points apiece, while Jewel Encarnacion and Ysa Jimenez contributed seven and six points, respectively.
The win gives the PLDT High Speed Hitters a 5-0 record in Pool A as well as grabbing that #1 seed while the Galeries Tower Highrisers goes 0-5 but are still headed to the knockout phase of the preseason starting on August 2.
EJ Cariño Leads the Nxled Chameleons to the Playoffs
After getting swept in their match against PLDT last July 26, Saturday, EJ Cariño of the Nxled Chameleons made sure none of that will happen again as they play the Farm Fresh Foxies.
From the very first serve of the opening set, the Chameleons looked nothing like a team reeling from a loss. Their offense clicked early and often, while their floor defense suffocated the Foxies, who appeared flat despite coming off a sweep of their own the previous day. Nxled pounced immediately, never allowing Farm Fresh to build rhythm. By the time the Foxies managed to settle, the set was well out of reach.
In the second set, Farm Fresh attempted to rally, but Nxled’s seamless ball movement and smart distribution kept them off-balance. Setter Jaja Maraguinot controlled the pace with ease, keeping all spikers involved. The Chameleons maintained a steady lead, capitalizing on Farm Fresh’s misfires and piling on quick points. EJ Cariño started to heat up at this stage, hammering in strong attacks that the Foxies failed to contain. Nxled wrapped up the frame with no sign of letting up.
The third set followed the same pattern, with Nxled storming ahead as Farm Fresh struggled to stay afloat. Cariño continued her offensive tear, while Chiara Permentilla and Jovelyn Fernandez provided consistent support at the wings. Even as Trisha Tubu tried to inject life into the Foxies’ side, her 12-point effort went largely unsupported. The Chameleons finished the rout in just one hour and 18 minutes with a convincing third-set win.
FINAL SCORES = SET 1: 25-13, SET 2: 25-16, SET 3: 25-14
Playmaker Jaja Maraguinot was the architect of the victory, recording 11 excellent sets and adding four points of her own in a standout all-around performance. Leading the scoring was EJ Cariño, erupting for 19 points on 16 kills, two aces, and a block, powering the Chameleons’ key runs in every set.
Chiara Permentilla contributed 10 points, while Fernandez added eight, Delos Reyes chipped in five, and Krich Macaslang provided four markers to round out a well-balanced Nxled attack.
For the side of the Farm Fresh Foxies, only Trisha Tubu made a real impact with her 12-point output. Jolina Dela Cruz and Rizza Cruz both chipped in five points apiece.
Nxled Chameleons officially clinched the second automatic berth into the quarterfinals from Pool A behind PLDT with a record of 4-1. They also look ahead to a brief but much-needed rest period before entering the grueling knockout rounds.
The Farm Fresh Foxies settle for the #3 seed in Pool A with a record of 3-2.
