SHOWING resilience and tactical prowess, Cignal outplayed Cherry Tiggo in four sets yesterday 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 25-21 and forged a three-way tie for the lead in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at The Arena in San Juan.
Skipper Ces Molina had 13 markers while veteran libero Dawn Catindig had 23 digs and six excellent receptions in the two-hour and 13-minute showdown as the HD Spikers joined PLDT and Akari on top with 2-0 card.
“Una sa lahat, thank you again kay Lord for guiding us the whole game. Happy kasi nag-perform iyong team though we know hindi pa rin iyon iyong gusto naming mangyari,” said Cignal mentor Shaq Delos Santos.
Delos Santos shuffled his lineup after their second-set loss, which helped the team dominate the third and outmaneuver the Crossovers in the critical moments of the fourth.
“It’s a very important win for us. This victory will definitely boost the team’s confidence and serve as a big morale booster as we head into our upcoming games,” said Catindig.
Although they trailed by six midway through the fourth, the HD Spikers fought their way back to secure the hard-earned win.
“This is exactly what we practice during training – embracing the pressure and staying composed. When the match gets tight, we need to learn how to finish the set in our favor,” she added in Filipino.
Chery Tiggo, which dropped to 1-1, drew double-digit scores from Ara Galang (13 points), Seth Rodriguez (12), Cess Robles (12) and Mary Rhose Dapol (10). Though they yielded 10 points in spikes, 48-58, the Crossovers dominated the net, coming away with 10 blocks, six more than the HD Spikers.
Cignal pounced on Chery Tiggo’s shaky reception, scoring 10 aces, including three straight from Cayuna in the third set, against the Crossovers’ three.
The HD Spikers’ next matches will test whether they can maintain this high level of play as they aim to finish the season on top. They will face the Choco Mucho Flying Titans on Nov. 28 at the Philsports Arena.
