MANILA—The BFP Lady Firefighters returned to their winning ways with a commanding straight-sets victory over the AFP Lady Gunnar, 3-0 at the Paco Arena, Manila. 

Dominating the sets with identical scorelines of 25-18, 25-17, and 25-18, the Lady Firefighters showcased a relentless offense that left the Lady Gunnar struggling to find a rhythm. 

Gelimae Villanueva earned Best Player of the Game honors, delivering a powerhouse performance with 10 points—including 7 attacks and 3 aces to anchor BFP's clinical execution.

This victory serves as a crucial redemption for the BFP squad following a heartbreaking five-set loss to the PhilHealth Health Insurers in their previous outing. 

Coach Efraem Dimaculangan emphasized that the earlier defeat was a catalyst for today’s success rather than a setback. 

“Ang sabi ko lang gawin lang nating motivation yung pagkatalo natin," Dimaculangan shared during the post-game interview. "So, hindi tayo talo doon kasi may mga learning kaming nakuha doon sa laro na yun.”

Despite her stellar performance, Villanueva remains focused on sharpening the team's chemistry as the tournament progresses. 

When asked about areas for improvement, the star hitter highlighted the mental and social aspects of the game over raw skill. 

“Yung communication na lang po sa loob ng court at tiwala sa sarili at sa teammates po,” Villanueva noted. 

With this win, the Lady Firefighters successfully extinguished any doubts about their momentum, proving they remain a top-tier contender in the UVL.