Ho Chi Minh stuns PLDT, revives PVL finals bid

Games Friday

1:30 p.m. — PLDT vs. Farm Fresh

4 p.m. — Nxled vs. Ho Chi Minh

6:30 p.m. — Creamline vs. EST Cola

QUEZON CITY — Ho Chi Minh City climbed out of an 0-2 hole in emphatic fashion by bringing down defending champion PLDT.

The Vietnamese squad stuck to its patterns and executed them efficiently to turn back the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 28-26, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in the PVL Invitational Conference.

The one-hour, 50-minute victory snapped Ho Chi Minh’s two-game skid and revived its bid for the second and final berth in the championship round.

After opening the tournament with losses to Farm Fresh and Creamline, Ho Chi Minh finally found the chemistry that had been missing in its first two outings.

The breakthrough came at the expense of the reigning champion.

Creamline had earlier moved closer to the finals after scoring its third straight victory, leaving Farm Fresh, Ho Chi Minh, and PLDT with 1-2 records.

EST Cola of Thailand and Nxled entered their Thursday match with identical 1-1 records, with the result unavailable at presstime.

The six teams are playing a single round robin, with the top two advancing to the winner-take-all championship match.

“We’re happy but very surprised with the unity of the team, leading to a win today,” said Ho Chi Minh captain Thi Kim Thanh Dang, who led the charge with 19 points.

Ngo Thi Luong Quynh added 18 points, while Le Thi My Xuyen and Ho Thi Bich Diep chipped in 14 apiece.

Thi Nhung Dao contributed 11 points as the Vietnamese finally put together the cohesive performance they had been searching for after struggling through their first two matches.

Setter Thi Hoai Mi Nguyen helped spread the offense and finished with 23 excellent sets, matching the output of PLDT playmaker Kim Fajardo.

“After the two losses we worked really hard to fix the errors,” said Dang.

The Vietnamese cleaned up their offensive patterns and became more disciplined in transition.

They also put together a resolute defensive effort that repeatedly frustrated PLDT’s attack.

Instead of relying on one or two players to carry the load, Ho Chi Minh spread the offense around and kept PLDT guessing.

The balanced attack eventually wore down the High Speed Hitters.

Kim Dy erupted for a game-high 25 points, while Savi Davison added 16 for PLDT.

Ho Chi Minh won the attacking battle, 64-57.

Le and Ho also spearheaded the Vietnamese net defense, combining for nine of the team’s 10 blocks.

PLDT finished with nine blocks.

After splitting the first two sets, Ho Chi Minh seized control in the third before steadily pulling away in the fourth.

The Vietnamese defense repeatedly disrupted PLDT’s attempts to mount a comeback, while their offense remained composed enough to finish the match.

It was a far cry from the team that had looked disjointed in its opening two matches.

With Creamline closing in on the first finals berth, Ho Chi Minh’s resurgence has reshaped the race for the other championship slot.

The Vietnamese will try to sustain their momentum Friday against Nxled at 4 p.m.

Creamline, meanwhile, faces EST Cola at 6:30 p.m., while PLDT and Farm Fresh collide at 1:30 p.m. in another crucial match.

For Ho Chi Minh, the equation is suddenly much simpler: after starting 0-2, the Vietnamese have rediscovered their rhythm at the right time and are back in the hunt.