When a door closes, a window opens—and for Cignal, that window came in the form of the Premier Volleyball League’s newly introduced play-in tournament. After a shocking defeat at the hands of the tenth-seeded Galeries Tower, the HD Spikers had one final chance to keep their quarterfinals hopes alive.
Team captain Dawn Catindig made sure they seized it.
The loss to the Highrisers—who had won just a single game in the eliminations—was a bitter pill to swallow. Cignal, despite being short-handed, had been one of the more consistent teams throughout the tournament, finishing third in the standings. A victory over Galeries was expected. Instead, they were stunned in four sets, 17-25, 22-25, 25-19, 19-25, sending shockwaves across the league as the Highrisers booked their first-ever PVL playoff appearance.
In the aftermath, Catindig knew that dwelling on the upset wouldn’t change their fate. Instead, she rallied her teammates, shifting their focus toward the opportunity ahead.
“Siyempre ‘yung opportunity pa rin na makapasok sa quarters. Although it is a challenge na we have to go through the play-in, but that’s the reality na kailangan namin i-accept,” she shared.
At 28 years old, the former league Best Libero understands the emotional toll of such a defeat. As one of the team’s veterans, it was up to her to keep morale high, even as doubt crept in.
“For me as one of the Ates, it was a challenge na paano pa-realize sa kanila na may mga maganda pa rin naman kaming nagawa,” she said.
“It’s just that ayun nga, bilog ang bola. Maraming pwedeng mangyari and nire-reassure lang kami nila coach na there’s still an opportunity na makapasok sa quarterfinals. Kailangan lang namin siyang pagtrabahuhan."
True to her words, Cignal responded in the best way possible. Just days after their gut-wrenching loss, the HD Spikers bounced back with a commanding 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15 victory over Capital1 in the play-in tournament, moving one step closer to securing a quarterfinals berth.
It was a performance that reasserted their strength and resilience, and for Catindig, it was proof of her team’s character.
“Syempre proud ako sa teammates ko, sa buong team na nagtulong-tulong talaga para mabalik nga ‘yung confidence ng isa’t isa.”
