Lady Troopers shoot down Red Spikers

MANILA, Philippines — PacificTown Army survived a second-set scare and went on to pound Chef’s Classics, 25-11, 25-23, 25-17, and wheel back into contention coming off a shutout loss in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan yesterday.

The Lady Troopers remained at fifth with a 5-4 slate behind the fourth-running PetroGazz Angels (5-2). But their repeat victory over the Red Spikers served as a big morale boost for the squad, which came into the match reeling from a straight-sets setback to the surging Air Force Jet Spikers at the close of their first-round schedule last weekend.

Honey Royse Tubino and Jem Gutierrez stepped up in the absence of Jovelyn Gonzaga, putting in a 15-point game each with the latter adding seven digs for the Lady Troopers, who played without Gonzaga and head coach Kungfu Reyes, both with the national team vying in the inaugural SEA Grand Prix in Thailand this weekend.

“We really needed to bounce back from that loss to Air Force,” said assistant coach Rico de Guzman. “We’ve been working on our defense and trying to develop our teamwork.”

Ging Balse-Pabayo added 10 points while Alina Bicar produced 12 excellent sets for PacificTown Army, which also swept Chef’s Classics in their first round face-off last Sept. 7.

Nieza Viray unloaded 15 points for the Lady Red Spikers, who fell to their ninth straight defeat in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.