Cignal remained immaculate, clawing back from a seven-point deficit in the third set to sweep Vanguard, 25-16, 25-18, 26-24, in the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, Sunday at the Paco Arena.
After taking the first two sets, the HD Spikers went with a platoon substitution to open the third frame but ended up finding themselves in an early 4-11 hole with Nathan Sorio spearheading the way for the Volley Hitters.
Vanguard eventually reached set point first after Sorio nailed a down-the-line hit that gave them a 24-21 advantage. Marck Espejo and JP Bugaoan then took over as they turned a three-point deficit into a 26-24 win after firing five straight points.
All in all, the HD Spikers finished the game on a red-hot 8-1 blast.
“It was not as good as our performance sa last game namin. Medyo ang dami naming unforced errors, hindi ganun kaganda yung performance,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor.
“Yet, ang maganda dito nung patapos yung laro pinakita talaga nila yung tamang attitude, pinakita nila yung experience nila as manlalaro. Talagang kinapitan talaga nila hanggang dulo,” he added.
Marck Espejo led the way with 11 points, while team captain Ysay Marasigan added 10 markers as the HD Spikers,
Cignal has yet to drop a set in the entire tournament, upgrading their standing to a league-best 7-0.
On the other hand, the Volley Hitters dropped to the last spot, tied with Philippine Air Force, with identical 1-6 records.
No player from Vanguard reached double digits in scoring with Vince Abrot and Sorio scoring six and five points, respectively.
Cignal will face off against AMC-Cotabato next Sunday at 3:00 PM. On the other hand, Vanguard will look to bounce back against Philippine Air Force later that day at 5:30 PM.
