Santiago sizzles as Petron topples Cagayan

Games Sunday:

(Cuneta Astrodome)

3 p.m. – RC Cola-Airforce vs PLDT Home TVolution (women's)

5 p.m. – Cagayan Valley vs Generika Army (women's)

7 p.m. – PLDT Home TVolution vs IEM (men's)

MANILA, Philippines – Denied of the title in the other league, Dindin Santiago poured all she got against Cagayan Valley and came through with another strong performance to lift Petron Blaze to a 22-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-21 win to join Air Asia at the helm in the women's division of the 2014 PLDT Home DSL-Phl Super Liga All-Filipino Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome Wednesday night.

The solid-spiking 6-2 Santiago uncorked a match-best 31 hits, 24 coming on kills, three on blocks and four on service aces to power the Blaze Spikers to their second straight victory for a share of the lead with the Mikee Romero-owned Flying Spikers.

It was another sterling effort for this year's top overall rookie pick after she unleashed a 37-hit splurge including her team's last five points during her Liga debut against PLDT Home TVolution on opening day.

Most importantly, it made up for the heartache felt by the 20-year-old Santiago when her National U Lady Bulldogs were swept by the underdog Far Eastern U Lady Tams in the V-League Season 11-First Conference Finals just three days before.

"Dindin is our main source of strength and she is showing everybody why," said Petron coach George Pascua.

Pascua also credited their win to the team's long preparation.

"We prepared hard for Cagayan. I told my players that they don't deserve to lose this match because they sacrificed a lot during training. They simply refused to lose," he said.

In men's action, Alnakran Abdilla came through with a clutch effort as PLDT Home TVolution-Air Force dumped a Richard Gomez-led Systema, 25-21, 25-13, 25-27, 25-15

Abdilla, who was part of the Phl squad that finished a respectable seventh in last month's Asian Men's Club Championship at the MOA Arena in Pasay City, scattered 20 hits, including six aces in helping seal the Power Attackers their first win this conference.

This premiere club tournament is organized by Sports Core, supported by PLDT Home DSL and backed by Mikasa, Asics, Mueller Tapes, Jinling Sports Equipment, LGR, Bench and Healthway Medical with Solar Sports as its official television carrier.