Three women's teams reach semis

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta 46 BNI, Jakarta Electric PLN and Bandung Art Deco Bank Jabar secured slots on Sunday in the women's division semifinal of the 2005 Sampoerna Hijau Proliga volleyball tournament.

Jakarta 46 BNI thrashed Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim 3-0 (26-24, 26-24, 25-13) to gain the second position among the six teams with six victories and two losses.

Later in the day, Jakarta Electric PLN also defeated Jakarta Monas Bank DKI 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 26-24) to stand alone atop the standings with a record of six wins and three losses.

Bandung Art Deco, which did not play on the last day of the fifth series of matches, automatically earned a last four berth due to the other teams' wins.

It is in third place with five wins and three losses.

With one remaining leg to be held in Yogyakarta on April 22-24 before the finals, Jakarta Monas Bank DKI (four wins and four losses) and Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim (3-6) will have to fight for the last semifinal spot.

Yogya Tomkins, with one win and seven losses, is out of the running.

In Sunday's match, Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim, knowing they needed a win for an outright semifinal spot, gave their all.

Through the attacks of American Jayme Wright and Purwitasari, Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim forced the hometown side to concentrate on defense.

But Jakarta 46 BNI, led by Dwi Sari, was able to neutralize the attacks and came out on top in the first two games.

In the third game, Jakarta 46 BNI pulled ahead as their opponents seemed increasingly desperate.

Jakarta 46 BNI coach Sukirno said he was glad that his team was able to follow his game plan to win, especially in overcoming the tough test in the early games.

"It is a good day for us as we won the match," he said. "If we were able to choose our opponent in the semifinal, we would prefer to play against Jakarta Monas Bank DKI due to their declining form."

Gresik Phonska Bank Jatim manager Eko Priyono admitted that his team lacked preparation and had underperformed during the tournament.

"We also don't have good foreign players, so it is not unusual for us to lose," he said.

In the men's division, Jakarta Monas Bank DKI remained unbeaten after eight matches by beating Jakarta Electric PLN 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-17) to reach the top of the standings.

Along with Jakarta 46 BNI, Jakarta Monas Bank DKI has already secured a berth in the semifinal.