Cignal set in motion its finals drive the way it closed out its elims campaign – in straight-set fashion – as it clobbered PLDT, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21, at the start of the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Thursday night.
The HD Spikers, who swept their last three elims games via 3-0 romps, the last over the fancied Choco Mucho Flying Titans in a knockout match for the second semis seat in Pool B, dominated the first two sets with sustained firepower and ball control then rallied from 1-6 down in the third before riding out a frenetic endgame to complete another imposing win.
Ces Molina scored on a back row push and fired back-to-back kills to turn a 16-17 deficit into a two-point lead in the third and the HD Spikers closed out with a 6-3 run, including three more from the top Cignal hitter.
Molina actually misfired on her last assault after Rose Doria moved the HD Spikers to match point with a stinging block off Mika Reyes in a middle clash. But PLDT playmaker Rhea Dimaculangan’s 1-2 bid backfired as she tapped the net, enabling the HD Spikers to secure the victory before a huge Thursday crowd bracing for a war of attrition between top elims finishers Creamline and F2 Logistics later in the night.
Cignal thus evened its card to 1-1, counting the one loss (to F2 Logistics) it carried from the elims, while PLDT slipped to 0-2.
“There was no communication (in the early going of the third set) kaya ibinalik lang namin,” said Cignal setter and Player of Game awardee Gel Cayuna, who produced 15 excellent sets and whose loaded serves often baffled PLDT’s defense, leading to a number of busted first balls.
“Dapat pa din mag-trabaho kasi medyo mabagal pa ang galaw namin, at effort pa rin para maibalik namin yung bilis naming nun eliminations,” added Cayuna, who also scored four points in their one-hour, 33-minute triumph.
But more than cohesion, the HD Spikers showed poise in the stretch with the seasoned Molina standing at the forefront of their attacks. After Michelle Morante delivered two straight hits to tie at 19 and Riri Meneses’ overpass negated Molina’s off-the-block hit for the set’s last deadlock, Cignal scored four unanswered points to all but clinch the win.
“We still have lapses but the good thing was we were able to win it in three (sets),” said Cignal mentor Shaq delos Santos in Filipino. “We’re so thankful, we’re so blessed.”
Molina, who normed 14 points in their sweep of Foton, Farm Fresh and Choco Mucho in the elims, finished with 17 hits while Jovelyn Gonzaga added 11 attack points and ended up with 12 markers and Doria came up with three blocks on her way to a 10-point showing.
“Magandang opportunity (win) for us kasi yung confidence namin mas tumataas. Pero dapat pa din namin i-polish ang laro namin sa training. Mabibigat ang mga susunod na kalaban, kaya dapat double effort,” said Molina.
PLDT, meanwhile, must also work doubly hard to get back into the thick of things since no High Speed Hitter was able to finish in double figures with Fiola Ceballos’ eight points proving to be the best. Morente and Honey Royse Tubino added seven markers apiece, Reyes had seven points, while Me-an Mendez struggled for five markers in a two-set stint.
