Cignal import Tai Bierra. –PVL PHOTO
SANTA ROSA, Laguna — After debuting in style, Tai Bierria vows to bring more energy to Cignal which seeks to get over the hump this 2022 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
The American opposite hitter delivered 20 points to lift the undermanned Cignal past Akari, 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-16, on Saturday at Sta. Rosa Sports Complex.
But expect more from the 25-year-old import in the upcoming games as she is determined to lead the HD Spikers all the way to the top after they fell short in the first two conferences with back-to-back bronze finishes.
“I like to bring a lot of energy in the court. I play almost every single spot. I pass, I block, I serve so expect good things all around but I think energy and just a good vibe for the team,” said Bierria after getting the better of Akari’s Dominican import Prisilla Rivera, who also scored 20.
“That’s what we really need so that’s what I wanna bring and with time, a bunch of kills and a bunch of points,” she added.
The 6-foot-1 US NCAA standout, who played for Memphis University and New Mexico University, loved the atmosphere in the Philippines and said the HD Spikers are easy to get along with.
“Full of energy from my teammates, my coaches, the fans, I love the environment and I’m ready to get better,” said Bierria, who also played in Finland and France.
“So far it’s been great. I think we got off to a rocky start in the first week but that’s expected with a new team.”
“Going to this game, I really felt confident with this team, really confident with the system, really confident with coach. It was good,” she added.
Cignal jumpstarted its season-ending campaign on a high note, despite the absence of Ria Meneses and Jerrili Malabanan as well as the limited minutes of Rachel Anne Daquis and Ces Molina.
Bierria stressed she still has a lot to show for the HD Spikers as she is eager to work on a lot of things ahead of their next game against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers on Saturday next week at Philsports Arena.
“More work. A lot more work to do. I gotta get to the gym and get some more timing. Things going down in my past it was not up to par in my opinion. So going into this next game we gotta be better, I gotta be better,” she said.