Cignal displayed its depth, experience and poise, overcoming a grueling five-set marathon against Capital1 and Marina Tushova’s record 50-point explosion to clinch the first semifinal berth in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
After squandering a two-set lead, the HD Spikers fought back from an 8-9 deficit in the decisive fifth set to carve out a hard-fought 25-19, 36-34, 16-25, 22-25, 15-12 decision over the gritty Solar Spikers at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Saturday.
While the match was highlighted by the offensive firepower of Cignal’s dynamic import MJ Perez and Capital1’s record-setting reinforcement, it was the defense that ultimately determined the outcome. The HD Spikers came through with two critical blocks on Tushova in the closing moments, sealing the win and their place in the Last 4.
Riri Meneses capped her stellar performance with a seventh block, denying Tushova to extend Cignal’s lead to 13-10. Then, in a defining moment, Jackie Acuña, who had played a supporting role throughout the match, stepped up to block Tushova’s final assault, dashing the Solar Spikers' hopes of a historic semifinal appearance.
Cignal’s victory overshadowed Tushova’s remarkable golden performance, achieved with a kill that brought Capital1 within striking distance at 11-13. The Solar Spikers closed the gap to one after Perez’s attack was thwarted by the net.
However, Perez and the HD Spikers remained composed. After several blocked attempts, Perez smartly executed a drop shot to bring Cignal to match point.
Acuña then preserved her teammates’ efforts with a scintillating kill block, her third, on the league’s most explosive scorer, sealing the match in two hours and 35 minutes.
“It’s all about preparation. We fell short in the third and fourth sets, but we knew we couldn’t waste all our hard work,” said Meneses in Filipino, who finished with a conference-high 21 points, highlighted by a career-best block effort.
“Every day, our coaches remind us not to waste our efforts. We gave everything in this game because it was either advance or go home, so we left it all on the court,” added Meneses, who earned the best player honors.
Acuña also stepped up, contributing eight points, while setter Gel Cayuna impressed with seven markers, including two crafty 1-2 plays that kept the Solar Spikers off balance. Chin Basas chipped in six points, rounding out a well-rounded attack for the HD Spikers.
In addition to securing a semifinal spot, the victory also earned Cignal a place in the upcoming Invitational Conference, where the top four teams from the Reinforced Conference will be joined by two guest foreign clubs.
Jorelle Singh provided strong support for Tushova with 12 points, while Jullia Ipac contributed six markers.
Des Clemente and setter Iris Tolenada also made significant impacts, each scoring seven points for the Solar Spikers, who, despite falling behind 2-0 in sets, they displayed remarkable resilience, clawing their way back to force a fifth set and giving themselves a clear shot at victory.
