Already boasting the services of national team mainstay libero Dawn Catindig, Cignal head coach Shaq Delos Santos found the perfect complement with the signing of Buding Duremdes.
With this addition, the HD Spikers now have two Premier Volleyball League Best Libero award recipients on their roster, further solidifying their floor defense.
And the two liberos complement each other exceptionally well.
“Siyempre, hindi naman sa parang maging komportable ako, pero alam mo ‘yung ito ‘yung dalawang libero mo na alam mong pag nilagay mo sa loob ng court, sa training, magdedeliver,” said Delos Santos after Cignal’s four-set win over Chery Tiggo on Thursday.
“Balanced eh. Ito (si Buding) komedyante. Ito (si Dawn) talagang gusto niya lang mag-focus sa lahat ng ginagawa niya. At the same time, meron din kaming joker na anytime mapapangiti ka kahit ayaw mo. Sobrang okay na meron kaming dalawang libero na Buding and Dawn,” added the veteran coach.
In the match against the Crossovers, it was Catindig who played most of the defensive specialist minutes, recording 23 excellent digs and six excellent receptions.
Duremdes, on the other hand, only played a set, as she is still adjusting to her new team, which had just announced her acquisition on Wednesday, a day before their match against Chery Tiggo—her former team.
For Catindig, having Duremdes as a fellow libero at Cignal is a huge boost to her performance.
“It’s an honor. Masarap na feeling na there’s someone who has your back na kaya ring mag-deliver at alam kong stable din sa loob ng court,” said the Alas Pilipinas member.
“Ako naman, kapag sa game, very observant din ako. Ang dami kong napipick-up na skills and IQ sa ibang players. Same din kay Buding na nakakalaban ko na before,” she continued.