KingWhale-Taiwan set up a showdown with Creamline for the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference crown after squeezing out a 25-15, 17-25, 25-22, 24-26, 15-5 decision over the first finalists to the letdown of the big crowd that packed the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan yesterday.
The Taiwanese turned a shaky start in the fifth and final set, overcoming a 0-2 deficit with a string of hits from Chang Chih Hsuan while cashing in on the Cool Smashers’ string of miscues to fashion out the two-hour, five-minute victory.
It was the visiting squad’s third straight win that came on the heels of its straight-set triumph over Army and another five-set escape over PLDT, thus formalizing its crack at the championship while dealing the crowd favorites their first loss in four matches at the close of the latter’s semis stint.
More importantly, it slammed the door shut on PLDT (2-2) and Cignal (1-2), both of which, including the fans, had hoped for a Creamline win that would’ve kept the local squads in the finals hunt.
KWT’s win likewise rendered today’s (Saturday) last semis duel pitting the Taiwanese against the HD Spikers non-bearing with the finals set 5:30 p.m. Sunday back at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
PLDT and Cignal dispute third place at 2:30 p.m.
“If we do not play our best, Creamline will win,” said Chen Li-Jun, who took over from Chang and Bea de Carvalho in the stretch to anchor their breakaway run and clinch the game’s top honors with 17 points.
Opting not to push his luck, Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses went for new combinations majority of the match but still suffered a setback when top hitter Alyssa Valdez went down with an ankle sprain after accidentally stepping on De Carvalho’s foot late in the third.
She hobbled as she made her way to the dugout and didn’t see action the rest of the way but said she was okay and is expected to suit up in the finals where the Cool Smashers will go for back-to-back after topping the Open Conference last April.
Michelle Gumabao stepped up for Creamline and spearheaded the team’s fightback from 1-2 set down in the fourth. But after taking the first two points in the fifth, the Cool Smashers lost control of their game and scrambled trying to neutralize the Taiwanese fightback – to no avail as Chang came through with back-to-back kills and Gumabao’s attack sailed long to give KWT the lead it never relinquished.
