PGJC Navy strengthened its semifinal bid with a dominant 25-9, 25-17, 25-20 victory over Martelli Meats at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig on Wednesday, keeping the Sealions in the heated race for the fourth and final semifinal berth in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference.
Joeven Dela Vega added 13 points on nine attacks, three service aces, and one block along with five excellent digs, while Marvin Villanueva chipped in nine markers on six attacks, two aces and one kill block.
The Sealions stamped their class over the struggling Martelli Meats, establishing a dominant 10-1 edge in blocks and an 8-1 advantage in service aces.
Cignal and Criss Cross, both boasting 7-1 records, along with DN Steel FEU (7-2), have already secured the first three semis spots. This leaves the race for the final berth to Savouge, Navy and EcoOil La Salle, which remain locked in a tight battle for postseason contention.
Savouge (5-2) stays at fourth place, and EcoOil La Salle (4-3) has slipped to sixth but is still in contention.
Both teams face a virtual knockout match at 6 p.m. on Friday, adding another layer of drama to the semis race.
For Navy, tomorrow’s 4 p.m. showdown with Cignal is a must-win. Although the HD Spikers have already secured their semis spot, they are expected to bring their A-game to maintain sharpness ahead of the grueling semis.
Jerome Cordez, Angelo Reyes and Lorenz Calayag scored five points each for Martelli Meats, which fell to 1-7.
The Master Butchers aim to finish their campaign on a high note, facing off against the D’Navigators, who also tote a 1-7 card, on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
