Biñan Tatak Gel booked the third semifinal ticket, scoring a 25-23, 26-24, 25-16 home win over AM Caloocan in the 2024 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) on Tuesday night at the Alonte Sports Arena in Laguna.
The Volley Angels, who leaped to 10-5 needed only 80 minutes to hit two birds with one stone as they also momentarily snatched the second seed for the other twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four.
Biñan joined Quezon (13-1), which already secured the No. 1 seed and the other bonus, and Rizal (10-4) in the semifinals with only one up spot left among three remaining contenders.
Shane Carmona delivered 17 points on 16 attacks and an ace as the Volley Angels notched their fourth straight win in the nine-team, two-round MPVA founded by former Senator and also MPBL chairman Manny Pacquiao.
Chreizel Aguilar and May Ann Nuique contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Biñan, which found Caloocan a tough nut to crack in the first two sets before running away in the third to complete the sweep.
In the other game, Quezon stayed on course with a 25-18, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18 win against Bacoor to clinch the No. 1 seed with only two games left in its schedule.
Rhea Mae Densing tallied 18 while Francis Mycah Go, Cristy Ondangan and Mary Grace Borromeo had 15, 14 and 10 points, respectively, in the Tangerines’ fourth straight win.
Quezon’s victory derailed Bacoor’s semis entry at 9-3, leaving a slim chance to pursuers San Juan and Caloocan with 6-7 and 5-7 records, respectively, in the homestretch of the MPVA backed by Extreme One-Stop Shop Appliances, ASICS, Mikasa and Gerflor with MPTV and Outcomm as broadcast partners.
It would take a miracle, however, for San Juan and Caloocan to squeak through as they have to wipeout the rest of their games while wishing for Bacoor to lose all of their matches.
Led by Charisse Mae Enrico’s 11 points as well as the 10 points each of Camille Bustamante and Jemalyn Menor, the Strikers need only a single win to advance with four games to go, starting with a potential easy win against the lowly Valenzuela (2-10) on Thursday.
Iari Yongco-Quimson and Percae Darabella Nieva had 15 and 10 points, respectively, for Caloocan in the crucial defeat with only a few matches left in the MPVA organized by the Volleyball Masters of the Philippines.
