Cignal held off Mark Calado to take down Savouge in a thrilling five-set battle, 27-25, 20-25, 28-30, 25-22, 15-13, in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Wednesday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The HD Spikers leaned on Steven Rotter and Martin Bugaoan in the endgame to stave off the hard-fighting Spin Doctors, who took a two-sets-to-none lead but failed to close it out.
The team improved their win-loss record to 6-1 in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
Facing a 2-6 deficit in the decider, Bugaoan and Rotter carried Cignal on their backs and poured four points each in a blistering 8-2 run that allowed them to take a 10-8 advantage.
With Shawie Caritativo misfiring in the fifth, Calado hammered down back-to-back attacks to tie the game at 10-all. Then the younger Bugaoan and Giles Torres traded hits, which locked the scores anew at 11.
The HD Spikers got the separation they needed after consecutive conversions from Vince Abrot and JP Bugaoan, taking a 13-11 lead.
Madz Gampong answered with a searing cross-court attack to cut the lead to one, but Hero Austria committed a crucial service error that pushed Cignal to match point.
Gampong tried to will Savouge back with a down-the-line attack, but the Spin Doctors’ service woes hounded them in the end.
Giles Torres committed another that spelled the end for the Spin Doctors after two hours and 15 minutes of action.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“Nagbalasa ako, nagpaikot ng tao. Ang maganda dito, ‘yung mga gustong gusto maglaro na nasa labas, most especially si Martin (Bugaoan) and si (Vince Abrot), they performed very well tonight,” said HD Spikers head coach Dexter Clamor.
Five players finished in double digits for Cignal, led by team captain Wendel Miguel with 18 points to go along with 12 excellent receptions and four digs.
The younger Bugaoan tallied 13 points, while his older brother JP and Abrot registered 10 points apiece. Rotter, who only played in the last three sets after leaving his uniform at home, still finished with 10 points, including four aces.
Cian Silang, who took over playmaking duties from Owa Retamar starting the third frame, dished out 14 excellent sets, while Vince Lorenzo had 16 excellent digs.
The HD Spikers recorded their second consecutive win in the tournament supported by Arena Plus and Mikasa.
Cignal eyes pay back against rival Criss Cross on Friday, 6:00 PM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
On the other hand, Savouge’s impressive start went for naught as they slipped to 4-3 in the standings, still at the third spot.
Calado dropped 25 points on 23 attacks and two blocks to go along with seven excellent digs, while Gampong finished with 21 markers, all from attacks.
Caritativo, who seemed to have run out of gas in the final set, finished with a monster game of 19 points and 26 excellent receptions for the Spin Doctors.
Savouge looks to bounce back against Alpha Insurance, also on Friday at 1:00 PM.
