BNI, Bandung Artdeco maintain Proliga leads

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 04/03/2006 9:20 AM

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Defending champion Jakarta BNI Taplus maintained its lead in the men's division of the Sampoerna Hijau Volley Proliga 2006 while Bandung Artdeco kept in charge at the women's competition after the second series matches were completed here Sunday.

BNI has 13 points with six wins from seven matches. The Jakarta-based club ousted Yogya Yuso Tomkins 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 19-25, 25-18) Sunday at the Senayan Basketball Hall.

Jakarta Monas Bank DKI follows in second place with 11 points from four wins and three losses, while Surabaya Samator, which suffered four defeats against three wins, is in third place one point behind.

The last three rankings are occupied by Jakarta P2B Sananta (9 points), Bandung BSI (9 points), and Yogya Yuso Tomkins, which had only one win, (8 points).

In the women's division, Bandung Artdeco Bank Jabar remains at the top of the table with 12 points, having swept all six matches.

It won its last match against host Jakarta Monas Bank DKI on Friday 3-1 ( 25-15, 25-21, 16-25, 25-22) and has one game in its hand.

Gresik Phonska is in second place with 12 points, winning five matches and losing two, followed by Jakarta Electric PLN (10 points), defending champion Jakarta BNI Taplus (10 points), Jakarta Monas Bank DKI (9) and winless Yogya Yuso Tomkins (7 points).

Two legs of competition remain to be played in Yogyakarta and Bandung. Top four teams in each divisions will advance to the ""final four"" contest in Jakarta.

In the last two legs, men's team Jakarta BNI Taplus will meet rival Jakarta Monas Bank DKI, Jakarta P2B Sananta and Bandung BSI. BNI Taplus' only loss came at the hands of Bandung BSI.

In women's division, Bandung Artdeco will meet Yogya Tomkins, Jakarta 46 BNI, Gresik Phonska and Jakarta Electric in the last two legs.

While its women's team is virtually out of contention, the Yogya Tomkins' men's team is still nurturing hopes of marching to the next stage, albeit with a slim chance.

Coach Putut Wijanarko expected his men's team to win two out of the last three matches at home and in Bandung in the hope of securing a berth in the semifinals.

""We are trying to do so, although it will be difficult,"" he said.

Meanwhile, Jeff Liang, Jakarta Monas Bank DKI women's team coach, said he would focus on winning every match in order to score a berth in semifinals.

""So our focus is to win every match now,"" he said.

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