VIGAN, Ilocos Sur – Its endgame composure and tactical savvy put to the test by a gritty Capital1 side, Cignal once again displayed poise and polish under pressure, thwarting the Solar Spikers in three sets, 25-21, 25-22, 25-16, to seize the early solo lead in Pool B of the PVL On Tour Monday at the newly-renovated Chavit Coliseum in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
After surviving fierce endgame resistance in the first two sets, the HD Spikers turned up the heat in Set 3, unleashing their full arsenal to break away early and dominate from start to finish. They raced to a 6-1 cushion and never looked back, sealing their second straight-set win in as many days.
It was a near mirror of their 25-23, 25-14, 25-23 conquest of the Akari Chargers on opening day, a victory that served notice of the team’s strong rebound bid following a disappointing early exit in the recent All-Filipino Conference – a campaign derailed by the mid-conference loss of two key players.
But if Cignal showed signs of vulnerability then, it has looked anything but in the PVL pre-season.
At the heart of another Cignal romp was veteran setter Gel Cayuna, who elevated her game from a 21-excellent set showing against the Chargers to an impressive 27-set performance against the Solar Spikers, effectively orchestrating the offense and keeping every player utilized by coach Shaq delos Santos involved.
“Sa dugout pa lang, pinag-uusapan na namin na dapat masaya kaming lahat na lalaro,” said the four-time Best Setter awardee,who also finished with five markers. “Masaya ako na nakakapag-adjust kami kahit maraming bago. Lahat nag-contribute kaya I’m really happy for my teammates and our coaches.”
Jessa Ordiales, who didn’t see action against the Akari Chargers, made the most of her league debut by delivering three points, including back-to-back hits that stretched Cignal’s lead to 18-11 in Set 3. She capped her impressive performance with a block on Trisha Genesis, sealing another dominant one-hour, 29-minute victory for the HD Spikers.
Erika Santos once again led the scoring charge for Cignal, following up her 14-point explosion against Akari with an 11-point effort this time. Roselyn Doria-Aquino chipped in 10 points, while Ishie Lalongisip and Jackie Acuña contributed eight apiece, and Heather Guino-o added seven markers in a balanced offensive display.
Rovena Instrella topscored with 11 points, while Genesis and rookie Pia Abbu added nine and eight markers, respectively, for Capital1, which fell to 0-2 in the pre-season opener hosted by Gov. Jerry Singson.
