High Speed Hitters near title series after digging deep to scuttle Japanese
Playing with the determination evident in champions, the PLDT High Speed Hitters on Monday checked slides in the first two sets to prevail, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23, over Kobe Shinwa University to close in on the first finals slot in the PVL Invitational Conference at PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The High Speed Hitters were pushed to their veritable limits by the young Japanese, as they had to dig deep in their bag of experience borne out from a successful On Tour campaign to rise to a 4-0 card.
“I just reminded the team to be patient,” coach Rald Ricafort said in Filipino after the 78-minute match. “We didn’t take the Japanese team for granted. This is a different experience for us. Their floor defense was really great.”
For playmaker Kim Fajardo, there was nothing extraordinary about their latest triumph–their third consecutive straight-sets win in the Invitational and 11th overall, dating back to their breakthrough title at the expense of Chery Tiggo just over a week ago.
“We just did our job and that is to play disciplined while respecting our opponents,” Fajardo, who had 20 excellent sets to earn Player of the Game honors, said, also in Filipino.
“We have momentum and we will work hard to keep it that way.”
Tight opening set
The first set was tight, with neither team taking a sizeable lead. And with the count at 22-20, PLDT dug deep, finishing the set with three unanswered points.
Rookie standout Alleiah Malaluan triggered the surge with a blistering attack to give PLDT a 23-20 edge before Mika Reyes, the Finals MVP in the On Tour, sealed the set with her signature quick kill, taking advantage of a Kobe Shinwa miscue from the back row.
The Japanese side responded fiercely in the second set, racing to an 18-14 lead behind sharp kills from Nagisa Komatsuda and swift transitions. Undeterred, PLDT countered with a defensive wall that began to frustrate the visitors, slowly chipping away at the lead.
Savi Davison top-scored with 17 points, while Malaluan and Reyes backed her up with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Majoy Baron and Kim Dy also contributed with six and five points.
