Games on July 12 (Cuneta Astrodome)
4:15 pm – RC Cola-Army vs Petron
6:15 pm – Cignal vs Standard Insurance
The vaunted strength and firepower of F2 Logistics were in full display as it made quick work of Foton, 25-11, 25-23, 25-14, in the 2016 Philippine Superliga (PSL) All-Filipino Conference women’s volleyball tournament yesterday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Ara Galang and Aby Maraño were the stars of the show as the Cargo Movers came up with a strong finishing kick to coast to an easy victory in this prestigious club tourney bankrolled by KLab Cyscorpions, Asics, Grand Sports, Mikasa, Mueller and Senoh with TV5 as official broadcast partner.
F2 Logistics is now on top of the team standings with a 4-0 win-loss card while heavyweights RC Cola-Army and Petron, who fashion an identical 3-0 slate, will clash for a share of the lead when the league resumes on July 12.
Galang, the top overall pick in the recent PSL Draft, had eight kills to finish with 11 points while veteran Maraño provided the defensive muscle as she tallied three of her 10 points on blocks to intimidate Maika Ortiz, Cherry Rondina and Patty Orendain.
Jaja Santiago, the 6-foot-4 middle blocker who was converted into a wing spiker in preparation for the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship was the lone bright spot for the Tornadoes as she finished with nine kills, two blocks and two aces for a total of 13 points.
“I think our jelling and familiarity with each other played a major role in this win,” said F2 Logistics coach Ramil de Jesus, referring to their fluid chemistry that also led De La Salle University to the UAAP women’s volleyball crown. “Foton looked tentative at the start, so we jumped the gun and took advantage of that.”
True enough, the Tornadoes were a picture of frustration early on.
Although Santiago breathed some life into the Tornadoes’ sputtering performance in the second set, 19-21, a pair of errors doomed their chances while Kim Dy unleashed a booming kill for the set point.