Cignal cruised past a young and inexperienced Kondohgumi Hyogo squad with a commanding 25-11, 25-8, 25-18 victory, in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Wednesday.
The win sets up another highly anticipated championship clash against their fierce rivals, Criss Cross.
Rebounding from a four-set loss to the King Crunchers last Sunday, the HD Spikers wasted no time reasserting their dominance.
They overwhelmed the Japanese side with a relentless power game and impenetrable blocking, crafting a lopsided win that required minimal effort.
“Actually, pagdating nung game namin against Criss Cross, pagod na lahat eh. Pero ‘yung game na ‘yun is more on mind eh. Mas malakas dapat ‘yung utak kaysa sa katawan. So, given pagod na ‘yung katawan, ‘yung utak at puso dapat mas nagtatrabaho,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
The HD Spikers showed their sharpest form in the second set, firing off 16 attack points while limiting Kondohgumi Hyogo to just five.
The Japanese team offered more resistance in the third set, staying close at 11-12 and 13-16. However, Cignal quickly regained control, capitalizing on Hyogo’s inconsistent serves to finish strong.
The match ended on a disappointing note for Hyogo, with Cignal claiming the final three points through service errors by their opponents.
Cignal wrapped up the semifinals with a 3-1 record, earning a rematch with Criss Cross, which earlier eliminated Savouge with a four-set win and a perfect 3-0 semifinal slate.
The much-anticipated one-game championship will take place at 6:00 PM on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
With both finalists already locked in, Friday’s remaining matches will be non-bearing.
DN Steel FEU and Savouge will contest the bronze medal in a match confirmed regardless of preliminary results.
Facing an overmatched opponent that had already suffered two straight-set losses, Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor used the opportunity to rest his key players ahead of the intense championship battle on Sunday.
Even with a shuffled lineup, the HD Spikers proved too polished and powerful for the Japanese squad, which managed only brief resistance in the third set before succumbing to Cignal’s depth and skill.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
All 13 offensive players for the HD Spikers contributed at least a point.
Umandal led the charge with 16 points, including 15 attacks, while Martin Bugaoan added eight markers, three of which came from blocks.
Sandy Montero anchored the defense with three digs and six excellent receptions. Setter Cian Silang orchestrated the offense with 10 excellent sets.
Despite their third consecutive straight-set loss, Kondohgumi Hyogo gained valuable experience from competing against some of the country’s top teams.
The Japanese squad expressed gratitude for the opportunity and cherished their brief but meaningful stint in the tournament.
Kaito Onomichi and Takata Akamatu scored five points each to lead the young Japanese side, which looks to build on the lessons learned from this experience.
