It will be Cignal versus AMC-Cotabato for the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference championship.
The unbeaten HD Spikers clipped the Cotabato Spikers in the final game of the round-robin semifinals, 25-17, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, Monday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Game 1 of the best-of-three finals will be on Wednesday at the same Manila venue.
Cignal was already assured of a spot in the championship round earlier when Imus-Ivy Tuason Photography defeated the D’Navigators in four sets, 25-23, 11-25, 25-20, 25-15.
AMC, Iloilo, and Imus finished with identical 1-2 records but the latter got already eliminated due to an inferior set ratio.
With the set ratio of Cotabato and D’Navigators also equal, the tiebreak used was the points ratio which the former got the advantage, 0.95 to the latter’s 0.93.
“It’s all about winning the game kahit natalo kami nung third set basta importante nakabawi,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor, whose team advanced to its fourth straight Finals appearance, eager to reclaim the crown it lost last year to National University.
AMC got the break it needed when it broke away from a 21-20 close call thanks to two errors from the HD Spikers and Steven Rotter and Rex Intal’s attacks to claim the third, 25-22.
But in a very tight fourth set, Cignal showed its championship composure as Marck Espejo punctuated the one-hour 51-minute match, 25-23.
Espejo top-scored anew with 20 points on 16 attacks, three service aces, and a block along with 15 excellent receptions.
JP Bugaoan had 14 points while Wendel Miguel netted 11 points and eight digs to his name.
Jau Umandal got 20 points for the Cotabato Spikers while Wewe Medina added 11 points.
Iloilo and Imus will square off for the bronze medal.
