EST Cola and Farm Fresh turned their battle for a shot at the Premier Volleyball League Invitational 2024 bronze medal into a thrilling showdown that felt like a championship clash with the former emerging victorious in a nerve-wracking five-set marathon.
The young Thai squad dug deep to overcome a 1-2 set deficit and showed grit in a tense fifth set, which featured 11 deadlocks and three lead changes. Despite trailing for most of the final frame, EST Cola found a way to clinch a dramatic 22-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 17-15 win at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Monday night.
The deciding set was a rollercoaster of emotions, with Farm Fresh’s Foxies leading for the majority of the frame. However, EST Cola refused to back down, spearheaded by the unstoppable Warisara Seetaloed.
Seetaloed delivered a match-high 33-point explosion, including 29 powerful attacks from all angles of the court. Her relentless performance kept EST Cola in the fight, even when they faced a match point at 13-14.
A crucial off-the-block hit from Natthawan Phatthaisong tied the set at 14, forcing the 10th deadlock. Phatthaisong’s timely kill gave EST Cola its second lead of the set at 15-14, but Farm Fresh’s Asaka Tamaru responded with a backrow attack to level the score once again.
In the pivotal moments, a tight exchange saw Nattharika Wasan’s block on Tamaru give EST Cola another match point at 16-15. With the pressure mounting, Phatthaisong delivered a sneaky serve that the Foxies failed to handle, sealing the match for EST Cola and sparking celebrations from the Thai bench.
