Photo from PVL
MANILA, Philippines—With its top guns firing at will, the Cignal HD juggernaut continued to roll, arriving unchallenged in the semifinals and leaving BaliPure on the wayside, 25-14, 25-9, 25-14, in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at FilOil Flying V Center.
The HD Spikers hardly encountered any resistance from the Water Defenders to pick up their fifth consecutive win in the conference counting their four victories in the pool play and building up the momentum going into the next round.
Now Cignal will have to wait for the winner in the F2 Logistics-PetroGazz quarterfinal encounter, which starts Tuesday with the Angels having a twice-to-beat edge to determine its opponent in the best-of-three semis.
Playmaker Gel Cayuna once again starred for the HD Spikers, wisely choosing the best scoring option from among the best scorers in the league right now like Ces Molina, Ria Meneses, Angeli Araneta and team captain Rachel Anne Daquis.
Underrated despite stints with several other clubs, the Far Eastern University top setter continues to enjoy her breakout season, fitting perfectly into the system of former national team mentor Shaq Delos Santos.
Molina scored 12 points as she asserts her role as Cignal’s top scorer despite being just one of the team’s additions following the preseason buildup.
“I think the key is here in the trust we have in each other. That’s what the coaches instructed us to do,” said Molina, a national team standout, said in Filipino. “We also trust in the process and put our mind on the goal which is to make the semifinals.”
Fans were once again allowed into the games, marking the first time the league opened its doors since the pandemic struck two years ago.
And they were treated to the exploits of one of the league’s hottest teams like the HD Spikers who overwhelmed the Water Defenders in attacks, 29-14, in the first two periods combined.
BaliPure will be relegated to the classification match along with Pool A fifth placer Black Mamba to determine the last places.