Cignal fended off F2 Logistics, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, to secure a bronze finish in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference on Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
This is the second consecutive time that the HD Spikers ended the Invitational in third place.
Cignal wasted no time in dispatching the Cargo Movers, leading by as much as eight points, 17-9, in the fourth set after a Rose Doria hit and never looked back from there en route to securing their third third-place and fourth podium finish in the PVL.
“First of all, syempre thank you kay Lord. Syempre, naka-survive kami buong conference nang malusog. Siguro may mga injuries pero light lang, mabilis lang makakarecover,” said HD Spikers head coach Shaq delos Santos.
“Bronze medal nakuha namin, sobrang happy kasi talagang ginusto namin ito lahat. Kumbaga para sa amin, napakaimportante nito. Ito yung pinagkaloob namin, sobrang tatanggapin namin ng buong puso. Thank you Lord talaga,” he added.
Ces Molina powered Cignal with 19 points on 17 attacks, an ace, and a block while Jovelyn Gonzaga scored 18 points on 12 attacks, four blocks, and two aces to go along with 17 excellent digs and eight excellent receptions.
Gel Cayuna glued things together for the HD Spikers, tossing 30 excellent sets to go along with six points highlighted by three aces while Anngela Nunag collected 11 excellent receptions in the 2-hour, 16-minute match.
Also playing huge for the team is middle blocker Doria, who added 10 markers.
Rachel Daquis powered Cignal’s hot start in the first set, scoring three points in a 4-0 burst that turned a 16-13 lead into a seven-point, 20-13 gap in the first set before Molina took over and halted the Cargo Movers’ comeback attempt by scoring four of her team’s last five points in the opener.
After losing the opener, the Cargo Movers immediately bounced back in the second frame and broke a 20-all deadlock after Ara Galang fired two points in a 4-1 rally which put F2 Logistics at set point, 24-21.
Elaine Kasilag committed a net touch while Gonzaga blocked Ivy Lacsina to pull the HD Spikers to within one, 23-24. However, Kasilag atoned for her mistake and drilled an off the block attack to even the match.
Cignal built a four-point advantage late in the fourth set, 23-19, but Molina committed an attack error which trimmed the deficit to three for the Cargo Movers. From there, Abi Marano committed a service error before Doria scored off an over-receive to snatch the set.
The Cargo Movers, who had an impressive start to the tournament, finished the Invitational in fourth place after coming off a third-place campaign in the All-Filipino Conference.
Lacsina led the way for the Kianna Dy-less F2 Logistics with 16 points while Marano and Kasilag chipped in 10 and nine points, respectively, in the loss.
