Joeven Dela Vega stepped up in the fifth set, delivering eight crucial points to propel the Sealions past the hard-fighting D’Navigators, clinching the third seed with a 6-2 record after the single round elims.
With the scores tied at 8 in the final set, Dela Vega hammered back-to-back hits to spark a 3-0 surge that shoved Navy to an 11-8 advantage.
Although the D’Navigators countered with two consecutive points, their efforts fell short as the Sealions responded with four straight points, highlighted by back-to-back aces from Dela Vega, sealing the victory in the thrilling two-hour, three-minute encounter.
“Yung proper execution ng ginawa namin, preparation for training. Na-apply naman siya. Nung fourth set lang medyo nagawa kami sa game plan,” said Navy head coach George Pascua.
Dela Vega, who entered the fifth set with just 11 points, finished with 19 points, fueled by 16 attacks, two aces and one block, while Peter Quiel dished out a standout performance with 17 points on 15 attacks and two blocks.
Team captain Greg Dolor contributed 14 markers while Omar Lioc added 12 points, five excellent digs and four excellent receptions.
Louie Pudadera orchestrated the offense with 22 excellent sets and finished with three points, while Jack Kalingking anchored the defense with 15 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions.
On the other hand, the D’Navigators ended their elims campaign with a 5-3 record for fourth place.
Cignal and Criss Cross took the first two semis seats with 7-0 and 6-1 records, respectively.
Francis Saura led the D’Navigators with 30 points on 27 attacks, two blocks and an ace.
