Cignal flaunted its deep arsenal, eliminating VNS in straight sets, 25-16, 25-17, 25-17, to extend its winning streak to five games in the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference at the Ynares Sports Arena on Friday night.
The HD Spikers now hold a 6-1 record and aim to secure their spot in the next round when they face the semifinals-bound FEU-DN Steel Ultras on Sunday.
“Marami pa rin kaming unforced errors. Actually, this game is not a rest day game for us but it’s really a load management one, most especially for those first six na laging ginagamit. We trained yesterday, we have a game today, and we will train tomorrow in preparation for Sunday’s game,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor.
Nas Gwaza, Mark Calado, and Alfred Valbuena powered Cignal in the third set, breaking away from a slim 13-10 lead with a dominant 6-0 run that ballooned the lead to 19-10, paving the way for the sweep in just 85 minutes.
Gwaza, a former Best Middle Blocker awardee, led the HD Spikers with 13 points, including nine attacks, three blocks, and an ace.
Jau Umandal chipped in 12 points in just two sets, while Steven Rotter contributed nine points in two sets of action. Mark Calado also added eight points in the quick victory.
The Griffins, who had earned back-to-back wins to keep their playoff hopes alive, fell to a 3-5 record.
They will wrap up their campaign on December 1 against the La Salle-EcoOil Green Oilers.
CJ Segui carried the fight for VNS with 12 points and nine excellent receptions, while Roderick Medino added nine points in the loss.
