MJ Balse-Pabayo made all the right plays down the stretch, including two hits to send Black Mamba Army past Bali Pure, 25-16, 25-27, 25-21, 26-24, in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra.
The victory allowed Black Mamba Army to join Petro Gazz and Sta. Lucia at third place in the standings.
The Lady Troopers trailed for most of the fourth but they found their second wind, rallying behind Royse Tubino and Pabayo, whose attack shattered a 24-all count and whose soft hit on the next play lifted the team to the victory.
The Water Defenders redeemed themselves from a sloppy performance in the first set with a scrambling win in the next and then, controlled the next two frames before barely holding on to a 24-23 lead on a Genevieve Casugod hit. But Jovy Gonzaga levelled the count with a blast and Pabayo took over to spike the team’s triumph. (JNP)