Crown defended.
Despite losing key members during the offseason, Cignal found ways to recuperate and maneuver every tight set into its favor.
Thanks to that, it outlasted rival Criss Cross, 25-23, 27-25, 25-21, to win the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference championship via a two-game sweep before a big Friday crowd inside the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The HD Spikers bagged their second straight Open title – and are now seven-time champions in the country’s men’s premier league, four of which came in the aforementioned conference.
“Syiempre nagpapasalamat ako sa mga bagong players na pumasok sa Cignal, ang bagong champion players na pumasok sa Cignal. Kasi talagang nag-contribute bawat isa, gustong manalo, gustong mag-champion,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor.
“Sobrang saya! Hindi ko masabi kung gaano ako kasaya sa araw na ito.”
With this sweep of Cignal, PGJC-Navy took home the bronze medal due to a superior points ratio (1.050-0.953) over the D’Navigators after they split their matches, both in four sets.
Bryan Bagunas was named Finals MVP, after burying 26 points and 12 receptions in the first game and 22 points including five aces and eight receptions in the clincher.
(C) Joaqui Flores/Spikers Turf
“Napakasaya kasi unang year ko pa lang sa Cignal, nag champion na,” said Bagunas.
In the opening set, it was JP Bugaoan who drilled the finisher for Cignal, a quick kill that pierced through the King Crunchers’ defense for the early upper-hand, 25-23.
The newly-minted MVP Bagunas came into action in the second with the sharpest of crosscourt hits for a 26-25 lead before Jude Garcia of Criss Cross committed a costly attack error.
The HD Spikers then survived anxious moments in the third with the score tied at 17 after Jau Umandal was stretchered out of the playing court. He apparently suffered an inadvertent elbow from Jude Garcia to the head on a block play by the latter.
(C) Joaqui Flores/Spikers Turf
Umandal went to the side and lay down. He was brought to the nearby Adventist Medical Center.
Cignal then played in Umandal’s honor the rest of the way.
Bagunas took over, scoring the HD Spikers final four points including the clinching hard hit from the pipe for the win and the title after one hour and 49 minutes.
Umandal had a spectacular game of 18 points on a high clip of 16-of-23 in attacks while also getting a block and a service ace before the incident.
Bugaoan also scored 11 points built on three blocks for Cignal.
(C) Joaqui Flores/Spikers Turf
Marck Espejo paced the silver medalists King Crunchers with 17 points, 11 receptions, and three digs.
Jude Garcia chipped in 13 points, while Kim Malabunga added 11 in the losing cause.
