By Adrian Stewart Co

Bacolod City’s Chery Tiggo Thunderbolts settled for a fifth place finish at the close of VolleyPrep Volleyball Club Championship 2021 on Tuesday at the Naga College Foundation Volleyball Center in Naga City.

Alex Montoro, Ysabelle Chua, Dona Mae de Leon and Jihan Chuatico came up with crucial hits as the Thunderbolts edged Tacloban City Red Stallions, 25-18, 25-20 in the battle-for-fifth place game.

The Thunderbolts surged to an early 12-3 lead in the first set behind early hits from Chuatico. The Red Stallions rallied to within 7-13 but Chery Tiggo widened the lead to 23-15.

The Red Stallions, however, saved consecutive set points to trim the deficit at 18-24 before the Thunderbolts ended the opening set with a conversion.

Tacloban City opened the second set with 3-1 lead but was quickly erased by Chery Tiggo on a drop hit by Katherine Shaine Cortez and attacks from Montoro and De Leon for a 10-all count.

The Red Stallions went on a rally to build a 19-14 lead but the Thunderbolts quickly answered back with shots from Chua, De Leon and Montoro to force a deadlock at 19-all.

Back-to-back service aces by Chua gave the Thunderbolts a 21-19 edge before the Bacolod City-based team capitalized on Tacloban City’s miscues to clinch the win.

The Thunderbolts finished the Pool A with victories against the Red Stallions and Parañaque City Green Berets a defeat to California Precision-Sports.

The Bacolod City-based team, however, suffered 25-22, 27-25 defeat to ABCamp Baguio, which was led by their former player Alyssa Bertolano, in the quarterfinals round.

“It was our first tournament since the pandemic but the players excelled our expectations. We just hope that this is the start of the return of volleyball tournaments,” said Thunderbolts assistant coach Roberto Calamba Jr./ASC, WDJ