Cignal all but dashed PLDT’s hopes of making it to the semifinals, delivering a stunning 24-26, 26-24, 25-17, 28-26 victory in a thrilling match in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna Saturday night.
Despite being out of contention for the semis, the HD Spikers still dished out a performance worthy of a playoff berth, displaying solid blocking and capitalizing on their opponents’ vulnerabilities in service reception in the swing set to take control at 2-1.
Vanie Gandler’s exceptional play in the fourth set, with powerful kills from the wings and backrow line, propelled the HD Spikers to outmaneuver their sister team in another nail-biting extended battle.
Ces Molinas’s crucial contributions off the bench after cramping out, including timely hits that forced a tie at 23 and ultimately sealed the victory, added to the intensity of the match that lasted two hours and 12 minutes.
As a result, Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, and Creamline, all with 8-2 records, will advance to the semifinals of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
The defeat was a heartbreaker for PLDT, dropping it to 7-3 and stalling its momentum at fifth place with 20 points.
But in an unlikely scenario that Galeries Tower gets past Chery Tiggo in three or four and PLDT secures a full three-point victory over Creamline (24 points), both on Thursday, the Crossovers and the High Speed Hitters will all end up with 8-3 slates and 23 points. The last semifinalist will then be determined through set ratios.
The race to the finals, with all teams starting from scratch, will begin on April 30 although three more preliminary playdates are scheduled this week.
PLDT appeared poise to force a fifth set and keep its semis hopes alive after Erika Santos scored a kill to push the High Speed Hitters to a 26-25 lead. However, Cignal successfully challenged a call on a Chai Troncoso attack error, leading to a block touch and another tie.
Despite PLDT’s valiant efforts in a wild, tense-filled finish, Gonzaga’s decisive play and Molina’s clutch performance eventually clinched the victory for the fired-up HD Spikers.
“Masarap sa feeling, kahit wala na kami (sa semis), nakuha pa din namin. We dedicate this win to the management, which has been with us every step of the way,” said Gonzaga, who bagged the game’s top honors after scoring 16 points, including 11 attacks and three blocks.
Molina finished with 15 markers and Gandler shone with 12 points, Troncoso added eight markers and Jackie Acuña and Gel Cayuna chipped in six points apiece, including three blocks. Acuña also dazzled midway in the match, providing an intimidating presence in the middle.
The HD Spikers also put to naught Savi Davison’s 29-point showing and Dell Palomata’s 15-point effort. Majoy Baron also scored 11 points and Santos finished with seven markers for the High Speed Hitters.
