Balipure Water Defenders pulled off a massive upset win over the towering and erstwhile undefeated Chery Tiggo Crossovers in a close five-set win, 19-25, 25-19, 13-25, 27-25, and captured their first win of the season.
Down by 1-2 heading into the fourth set, Bali Pure rallied back midway of the said frame, thanks to the heroics of Bern Flora who scored a series of points to cut the deficit to 17-19.
Graze Bombita took over at the latter part of the fourth set, unleashing bombs after bombs to tie the score at 22.
Flora powered her way through the tall defenders of Crossovers to force a decider at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
Bombita top scored the match with 24 points, including 21 attacks and a pair of blocks.
In the final frame, Chery Tiggo looked sharp at the start, building an early 6-3 lead but the gritty Water Defender leaned on Bombita anew, who gave the squad the upperhand, 9-8.
Veteran Dindin Santiago-Manabat and Shaya Adorador answered back to tie the match at 10 apiece.
But the Crossovers succumbed to a string of crucial errors down the stretch aside from Bombita having a hot hand until the very end to suffer its first loss in three outings.
“Siyempre sobrang saya namin kasi pinaghandaan namin sa training pa lang kahapon, we had a film viewing. At least maganda yung napakita, nag-translate talaga sa laro kung ano man yung usapan namin kahapon,” Balipure head coach John Abella said.
What a finish by Panaga. Pls pagaling ka. #PVL2021 pic.twitter.com/Vx6qBHesBR
— Vince Limbaring Dizon (@vihannce08) July 22, 2021