Bracing for a grind-it-out clash in a no-tomorrow showdown, Cignal instead rolled to a surprisingly smooth 25-20, 25-10, 28-26 victory over a struggling Akari squad to secure a spot in the semifinals of the PVL On Tour, Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Erika Santos continued her torrid form with a near-effortless scoring spree, firing 24 points on a 43 percent attack efficiency built on a mix of power hits, down-the-line kills and crafty tips. She fittingly sealed the one-hour, 34-minute triumph with a crosscourt attack that the Chargers unsuccessfully challenged, the ball landing flush on the line to formalize the HD Spikers’ advance.
The win propelled Cignal to the knockout semifinals set Tuesday at the Araneta Coliseum, where it will face the winner of the Nxled-Chery Tiggo quarterfinal clash.
While Santos dominated early with 19 points in the first two sets alone, she cooled off in the third, which allowed Akari to stage a late push. Ced Domingo’s running attack gave the Chargers a 17-14 edge, but Cignal quickly regrouped, knotting the count at 18 behind another Santos push and moving ahead on Jackie Acuña’s block on Domingo.
Akari, however, wasn’t done yet. Ivy Lacsina’s block touch gave the Chargers a 24-23 lead before the HD Spikers leaned on grit and system execution to prevail on their third match point.
“Kinapitan lang namin kasi nakita namin yung adjustment ng Akari – ang ganda ng defense at execution nila,” said Santos. “Sumunod lang kami sa sistema ni coach Shaq (delos Santos).”
The HD Spikers’ celebration was momentarily halted as Akari challenged Santos’ match-winner. But after a review showed the ball clearly in, the team erupted, with Santos clinching another Best Player of the Game citation.
Still, the explosive open spiker deflected the praise.
“Hindi pa rin ako sanay (sa award), pero sobrang thankful ako sa teammates ko kasi yung tiwala nila sa akin, sobrang laki,” she said.
Roselyn Doria provided ample support with 10 points, while Ishie Lalongisip added nine. Tin Tiamzon and Acuña chipped in six apiece as Cignal outgunned Akari, 47-37, dominated the net with a 9-5 blocking edge, and capitalized on 19 unforced errors by the Chargers while yielding only 13 of their own.
Eli Soyud led Akari with 13 points, followed by Domingo’s 11. Chenie Tagaod and Ezra Madrigal contributed five each, while Lacsina and Grethcel Soltones were limited to just four markers apiece.
Despite their strong third-set showing, the Chargers failed to stretch the match and bowed out of contention.
“As for the semis, we don’t pick our opponents,” said Santos. “Lahat pantay-pantay ang respeto namin. Back to zero ulit. Pag-aaralan lang namin yung lessons sa mga previous games namin.”
Earlier, Cignal shook off the rust from a long layoff and stormed back from a four-point deficit with a fiery finishing kick to fashion out a five-point win.
Santos led the HD Spikers’ late surge, firing eight points and building on her explosive form in the prelims, highlighted by a 30-point eruption against the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles last July 20.
Akari mounted a late rally and trimmed the gap to 18-21, but a string of costly miscues – including a net violation by Soyud – handed Cignal set point, 24-18.
The Chargers saved two on an Lalongisip attack error and a Domingo block on a young Cignal hitter. But the latter bounced back in the next play, unleashing a power hit that Akari scrambled to keep alive but ultimately failed to return.
Set 2 remained firmly under Cignal’s control as Akari continued to falter – not only in its offensive execution but also in floor defense – allowing the HD Spikers to surge ahead with a quick 10-5 lead. Then came the Santos onslaught.
With an almost effortless rhythm, the prized recruit from PLDT during the off-season unleashed a barrage of attacks – from powerful kills and down-the-line shots to crafty power tips and sharp crosscourt hits – propelling Cignal to a commanding 22-8 lead.
Santos racked up 11 points in the set alone, bringing her total to 19 at that point, after an earlier eight-point burst in the opening frame.
The HD Spikers needed just 23 minutes to close out the set in dominant fashion, chalking up 17 attack points while holding the Chargers to a meager four-hit output.
Visibly frustrated, Akari head coach Tina Salak could only try to rally her shell-shocked squad, urging them to shake off the pressure and rediscover their spark.
“Shake off the frustration first. Just enjoy the game – you're too tense, and it’s making you freeze out there,” she said in Filipino, gesturing toward the scoreboard that read 18-7.
But the pep talk seemed to fall on deaf ears.
The Chargers, who had entered the match on a high after sweeping Petro Gazz in the quarterfinals last Tuesday, looked flat and disconnected, a far cry from the confident, cohesive unit that earned a spot in the knockout round.
