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Popsivo leapfrogs Pertamina
Blocked: Jakarta PGN Poposivoâs Amasya Manganang tries to break a block by Jakarta Pertamina Energiâs Malika Kathong (left) and Komang Bumi Rekha during their Proliga volleyball match at Ken Arok Hall in Malang, East Java, on Saturday
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span class="inline inline-center">Blocked: Jakarta PGN Poposivo's Amasya Manganang tries to break a block by Jakarta Pertamina Energi's Malika Kathong (left) and Komang Bumi Rekha during their Proliga volleyball match at Ken Arok Hall in Malang, East Java, on Saturday. Antara/Ari Bowo Sucipto
Jakarta PGN Popsivo scraped to a 3-2 win over Jakarta Pertamina Energi on Saturday to wrest the lead of the 2015 Pertamina Proliga from the defending champion.
The win brought PGN Popsivo to a total of 13 points to go top of the provisional standings among seven teams and push Pertamina Energi back to second with 12 points.
PGN Popsivo eased to a 25-19 win in the first set before Pertamina Energi stepped up its game, refusing to lets its opponent widen the gap in the chase for points. The game reached deuce, which Energi won 26-24. Popsivo recovered its lead by winning the third set by the same score, the two teams again involved in a tight game that went to deuce.
Pertamina Energi was back to its best in the fourth game, winning 25-21 to force the match to a fifth-set showdown. The deciding set went fast, with both teams giving their best strenuous efforts to put up a good fight. Popsivo emerged the winner by scoring 15 against 12.
Popsivo coach Muhamad Ansori said that he had not come up with a special strategy for the match.
'I just told the girls to play with no burden and just enjoy the game. I encouraged them to remember they were not the defending champions,' he told journalists after the match. The smile never left his face during the press conference.
He added that he had only expected his team to win as many points as possible so that it could advance to the final four.
'The opponent also played really well. It was difficult for me and my teammates to develop our game,' said team captain Rita Kurniati.
Pertamina Energi coach Oktavian conceded that the opponent's team had played better on the day as they were able to maintain their composure throughout the match.
'Whatever strategy we put into practice, we were unable to penetrate their defense,' he said, adding that his team had played under pressure as the defending champion.
'Today's match will be a good lesson for us,' he said.
Pertamina Energi team captain Amalia Fajrina Nabila agreed with her coach, saying that it hit her team members' mentality hard whenever the opponent team led and that they could not overcome the pressure.
Both teams still have a chance to collect points in the remaining matches of the third week of the first round on Sunday.
PGN Popsivo will play against Jakarta Bank DKI while Pertamina Energi will face Gresik Petrokimia.
