JAO Umandal stepped up in the fifth set as Rebisco Philippines edged Sri Lanka’s CEB Sports Club, 25-14, 22-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11, to finish ninth in the Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship at Terminal 21 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Rebisco vs CEB Sports Club recap
The Filipino Spikers squandered a 2-1 match advantage on Wednesday but Umandal made sure his squad won’t go home empty handed in its first tournament in two years as he nailed the clutch hits, including the game-clinching spike.
Team captain John Vic De Guzman and Nico Almendras also provided the spark from the bench in the fifth set, opening a 13-10 lead before Umandal finished the job.
With its first win after four losses in the tournament, Philippines avoided last place in the 10-team field. The Filipino spikers went winless in Pool B and lost a five-set thriller to Thailand’s Diamond Food last Monday.
Umandal poured 28 points built on 20 kills, five blocks and three aces to cap his breakout international stint on a high note.
De Guzman and Almendras, who both entered in the third set, delivered 11 points each with setter Joshua Retamar orchestrating the brilliant plays.
Rebisco survived even it gave up 28 errors as middle blockers Francis Saura and Kim Malabunga combining for 10 of the team’s 19 kill blocks against CEB Sports Club’s 10.
Saura and Malabunga added 10 markers apiece, sending their foes to a winless AVC campaign.
Sanka Kalu Badana Ge led the Sri Lankans with 18 points. Vidura Perera had 15 attacks and two blocks for 17 markers, while Kasun Mahanthi Acharige and Ayesh Perera also had 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
