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Akari and PLDT coaches Taka Minowa and Rald Ricafort in the course of the PVL Reinforced Semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — PLDT is about to file a protest over uncontroversial unsuccessful net fault challenge in its knockout semifinals loss to Akari within the PVL Reinforced Conference on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
coach Rald Ricafort told Inquirer Sports that High Speed Hitters are filing a protest with the league after their semifinals loss that was marred by a controversial play where they challenged for a net fault on the Akari’s Ezra Madrigal that would’ve awarded the High Speed Hitters the winning point.
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The officials ruled against PLDT’s challenge, letting the Chargers force a deuce at 14-all and eventually complete a come-from-behind win for a breakthrough PVL Finals stint with a 25-22, 18-25, 22-25, 26-24, 17-15.
READ: PVL: Akari ousts PLDT in controversial finish to advance to final
The High Speed Hitters–from their coaching staff and their players–heavily contested the unsuccessful challenge. Fans on social media have also voiced their displeasure over the decision.
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“Definitely, we’ll file a protest. If nothing happens, we’ll see what other steps we are able to take. Everyone saw what happened, each in the sector and people watching online or on TV. We won’t explain our side here; we just hope our protest is noticed,” Ricafort told Inquirer.
Majoy Baron and the PLDT High Speed Hitters bench. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Although the PVL’s rule states that a protest should be filed inside one hour after the sport, league commissioner Sherwin Malonzo confirmed that they are going to accept and review PLDT’s protest.
“Our manual states that inside one hour, you could file the protest. But after all, we are going to still accept their protest after which act on it,” said Malonzo.
READ: PVL explains no net fault in controversial Akari-PLDT endgame
“We’ll see. We’ve to attend and see what their argument can be, and from there, we’ll respond. But we still have to review the situation because the premise is what happened. We just followed all the foundations, the web fault rules, and the challenge rules,” he added.
Malonzo spoke to the reporters after the sport, saying that based on the FIVB rule book Madrigal had not committed a net fault with each her feet already on the ground and that the contact with the web was a second motion away from ball play.
“There was no fault because her position was already established, with each feet in place before she turned. At the identical time, PLDT called for a mid-rally challenge. The consequence of doing a mid-rally challenge is that if it’s denied or unsuccessful, the purpose goes to the opponent,” he said.
“If it had been successful, the purpose would have been theirs, but based on the interpretation of our referees and the FIVB casebook, which we followed, because it was away from the play, it’s not considered a net fault.”
Malonzo also clarified that the challenge wasn’t shown on the screen and broadcast to avoid confusion but each teams saw the challenge clip.
PLDT will face sister team Cignal for the bronze medal on Monday at 4 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
