MANILA, Philippines – Petro Gazz went for the victory to formally begin its Final Four run while shutting the door on Chery Tiggo with a difficult 25 to 21, 28 to 26, 25 to 21 victory on Tuesday in front of a boisterous crowd at the San Agustin Gymnasium in this city despite already having secured a spot in postseason play with a higher tiebreak score.

The Angels’ dominance over the Crossovers, who entered the league’s first out-of-town match of the season requiring at least a three-set victory to remain in the chase for the semifinals, drew close to 7,000 cheering spectators. They cheered on every converted kill, frenetic exchange of hits, great digs and saves, and power tips, but the largest cheer came when MJ Phillips delivered the clincher on a rapid assault for the Angels.

But, the Angels were in no mood to back down, coming through with a solid finishing kick in the first frame, surviving their desperate rivals’ comeback attempt in the second, and thwarting the Crossovers’ second go-or-die attempt in the third.

He continued, “But what’s important is we praise the Lord for the victory, no one had an injury, both teams, and I really thank these Angels for standing up, especially in the most crucial time.

With PLDT receiving a free pass to the Final Four of the season-opening conference of the league run by Sports Vision, Petro Gazz, which finished second to Creamline in this tournament and the Open Conference last year, finished its elims campaign with a 6 to 2 record and joined the defending champion (6 to 1) and the dormant F2 Logistics (6 to 2) in the semis.

With the conclusion of the elimination rounds tomorrow at the Philsports Arena, the High-Speed Hitters, who have a 5 to 2 slate, want to match the cards of the Angels and Cargo Movers against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans. In the event of a tie, the point and set ratio system will be used to determine the rankings.

In the event that PLDT loses, a best-of-three match between the Cool Smashers and High-Speed Hitters and the Angels and Cargo Movers will be played, with the winner vying for the championship.

We’re overwhelmed, there’s a huge turnout, and everyone worked hard to come here, so from a personal standpoint, I want to live up to their expectations of us and perform and play our best for them, said Palma.

Aiza Pontillas scored 13 points, much to the delight of her compatriots Ilonggas, while Grethcel Soltones finished with 14 points, maintaining her stellar play heading into the decisive round. Philipps and Jonah Sabete each contributed 10 and seven points, while Palma recorded 12 hits.

Cza Carandang and Mylene Paat led the Crossovers in scoring with 16 and 15 points, respectively. EJ Laure contributed 8 points and Shaya Adorador contributed 4 points, and Jaycel delos Reyes stepped up to score 7 points for the team.

The Angels scored eight kill blocks, three more than the Crossovers, and pounced on the latter’s faulty service receiving to make six aces while making two of their own. Chery Tiggo, which finished with a 4 to 4 record, actually beat Petro Gazz in spikes, 47 to 46.