The Shopinas.com Lady Clickers have been devastating early this season as they’ve won the first two sets of all but one of their matches, and have not won a game that has gone into the fifth set.
Against the Cignal HD Spikers earlier today, Shopinas almost went into extra sets, but were able to deliver late in the third set to complete a straight-sets sweep 25-19, 25-17, 32-30 in the final match of the first round of eliminations of the Philippine Super Liga All-Filipino Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Lady Clickers immediately pounced on a dazed Cignal side out of the gate. Shopinas drove in five of their seven service aces in the first while also getting a hand from 23 of Cignal’s 31 total errors in the first two sets.
“We really needed the match to end in three sets kasi we do have a problem with conditioning,” Cha Cruz explained their sudden drop-off late in the match.
Shopinas looked well on its way to taking the match handily as they were up, 22-18 in the third set. A Momay Vivas crosscourt hit sandwiched between three Chang Ancheta aces tied the match at 22. From there, both teams traded blows into a deuce where Cignal was constantly on the brink of nabbing the set, only to be countered by veteran Shopinas play. Cignal wound up with five set point chances but in the end, the Shopinas outside hitters were just too much to handle.
Newly appointed PSL brand ambassador, Cha Cruz led the way for Shopinas with 13 points off eight attacks, three blocks and two aces. Her former La Salle teammate, Paneng Mercado pitched in 11 points while former Lady Bulldog, Rizza Mandapat dropped 10 markers.
The win lands Shopinas at second in the standings, tied with the Foton Tornadoes with a 3-2 sllate while Cignal settles in at last place with 1-4 record tied with Mane ‘n Tail.
Shopinas will look to breakaway as they face the Philips Gold Lady Slammers in their first match of the second round on Wednesday, April 15. Shopinas took their first round match in straight sets.
The Scores:
Shopinas (3): Cruz 13, Mercado 11, Mandapat 10, Angustia 8, Laborte 5, Tan 2, Cheng 1, Hingpit 1, Sison (L), General (L)
Cignal (0): Vivas 11, Clemente 7, Segodine 7, Tunay 6, Ancheta 5, Panaga 5, Nepomuceno 3, Ticar 3, Dionela 1 (L)
