By jerome lagunzad
Games Tuesday
(Imus Sports Center)
2 p.m. – Generika-Ayala vs Smart
4:15 p.m. – Sta. Lucia vs F2
Serbian star Sara Klisura shone on both ends down the stretch as Cocolife piled up more misery on the free-falling Generika-Ayala, 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 25-17, yesterday to sustain its steady rise in the 2018 Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix at the Sta. Rosa City Multi-Sports Complex in Laguna.
After a so-so showing in the third set, the 6-foot-2 Klisura regained her sharp form in the decisive set, practically doing a little of everything to help the Asset Managers bundle out the Lifesavers in one hour and 44 minutes.
More importantly, Cocolife clustered its fourth straight victory after an anemic 0-2 start and moved up to solo second spot. Meanwhile, Generika-Ayala remained empty-handed after four tries despite another gallant stand.
Evergreen setter Tina Salak also made her presence felt with 24 excellent sets while American import Taylor Milton, veterans Honey Royse Tubino, Joanne Bunag and libero Denden Lazaro did their fair share to help the Asset Managers’ cause.
“First few games, nag-struggle talaga kami. Mahirap rin kasi mag-blend agad. Kailangan rin talaga ng patience. At sa ngayon, unti-unti na naming nakukuha ‘yung laro namin,” said Salak, who kept the Asset Managers in one page in the face of the Lifesavers’ fightback.
But it was the hard-hitting Klisura who emerged as the big difference in the fourth frame. After allowing Generika-Ayala to pull within 15-17 off a Darlene Ramdin ace, Cocolife countered back with five straight points, two of them off Klisura.
A strong wallop by American import Symone Hayden off the block ended the bleeding for the Lifesavers, but Klisura answered back with a tricky lefty drop shot to make it a five-point game anew.
An attack error by Cocolife kept Generika-Ayala’s slim hopes alive, but those were immediately vanquished by Klisura, who scored a kill off a Hayden block then capped her heroics with a game-clinching service ace against Ramdin.
