Cignal HD defied all odds – absence of two key players, a two-set deficit and a huge hole in the third – as it hacked out an improbable 17-25, 20-25, 27-25, 25-22, 15-5 victory over a luckless PLDT to clinch third place honors in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Sunday.
The HD Spikers charged back from the brink and pulled off a shocker in the extended third set, lived through another frame before pouncing on the High Speed Hitters’ chaotic reception in the decider, leading to a string of aces by playmaker Gel Cayuna and a 6-0 bulge aided by three PLDT unforced errors.
That set the tone for the rout as the HD Spikers turned what was expected to be a wild back-and-forth fifth set into a runaway triumph by scoring almost at will against a visibly disorganized PLDT side with Jackie Acuna, Roselyn Doria, Jerrili Malabanan, Angeli Araneta all putting in a point or two before skipper Rachel Ann Daquis wrapped up the stirring come-from-behind win with a kill.
Cignal did go through a lot of challenges, missing top players due injuries and various reasons in their run to the semis and came into the battle for third against a team that swept them in the elims and semis without top hitter Ces Molina and middle Ria Meneses.
PLDT cashed in on their absence to sweep the first two sets behind a couple of strong finishes with the High Speed Hitters looked set to completing a quick job by storming to leads of as many as 10 midway in the third.
But the HD Spikers never lost hope, flashing a big fight heart to rally and snatch the third frame on a Doria putaway then battling back again from 16-19 down in the fourth to force a decider on a Chay Troncoso through-the-block hit.
It was another stinging setback for PLDT, which earlier blew its two chances to get into the finals, losing to Creamline after seizing a 2-0 set lead, and KingWhale-Taipei, after leading 12-8 in the decider, in a pair of five-setters then squandering a big lead again and yielding to Cignal in five.
Cignal got outhit by PLDT, 48-67, but came away with 15 blocks, including a record nine from Doria, who matched the High Speed Hitters’ output, and finished with seven aces, including four from Cayuna, two more than their rivals.
But the HD Spikers pulled off the shock win by scoring 34 points off PLDT’s miscues, including a slew of unforced errors in the fifth, while yielding 21 of their own.
Daquis led Cignal with 16 points and drew solid backup from Doria and Malabanan, who combined for 27 points, while Acuna and Cayuna had seven points each and Troncoso and Araneta finished with five hits apiece.
PLDT’s twin towers Mika Reyes and Dell Palomata fired 19 and 17 points, respectively, through quick attacks and running plays while Chin Basas and Jules Samonte had 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the High Speed Hitters, who settled for fourth after a fifth-place effort in the Open Conference.
