Defending champion Cignal secured a hard-fought 25-23, 27-25, 25-19 victory over Savouge for its second straight win in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
The HD Spikers maintained their strong start, showing championship composure in crucial moments to overcome a resilient Spin Doctors squad and improve to a 2-0 record in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
After surviving tight battles in the first two sets, including an extended second frame, Cignal pulled away late in the third. Steven Rotter, JP Bugaoan, and Martin Bugaoan led a decisive 4-0 run that turned a narrow 20-18 lead into a commanding 24-18 advantage.
Charlee Magpayo momentarily stopped the bleeding for Savouge with a quick hit, but it wasn’t enough.
Wendel Miguel sealed the match with a cross-court kill, wrapping up the contest in an hour and 28 minutes.
(C) Spikers’ Turf Images
“Of course, I’m happy na nanalo kami sa Savouge. Pero dikit all throughout, from the first set to the third set,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor after the close win.
“Ang dami naming errors, most especially sa service,” he added, as the HD Spikers committed 29 errors. “Bukod sa marami kaming errors sa service, marami rin kaming magaan na service, that’s why nakakapag-side-out sila ng mas maganda.”
Former league MVP Jau Umandal, who saw limited action in the previous conference, appeared to have reclaimed his spot in the rotation, delivering a game-high 17 points off 16 attacks. He also contributed eight excellent receptions in his second consecutive start for Cignal.
Rotter added 11 points, including two aces, while Miguel also finished with 11 markers.
Owa Retamar orchestrated the offense with 11 excellent sets and chipped in three points as the HD Spikers temporarily took the early lead in the tournament, backed by ArenaPlus and Mikasa.
Cignal looks to extend its strong start when it faces winless VNS-Laticrete on Wednesday at 6:00 PM at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
(C) Spikers’ Turf Images
Meanwhile, Savouge fought hard to keep pace with the HD Spikers but lacked the firepower to steal a set, dropping to a 1-1 record.
No player from the Spin Doctors reached double digits, with Shawie Caritativo and Mark Calado scoring eight and seven points, respectively. Caritativo also tallied 10 excellent receptions in the loss.
Savouge will try to bounce back when it takes on Alpha Insurance on Wednesday at 1:00 PM, aiming to return to the win column.
