Cignal HD Spikers. PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Cignal leaned on the trio of Chai Troncoso, Ces Molina, and Rachel Anne Daquis to end its 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference with a 29-27, 25-19, 25-16 win over the winless Army-Black Mamba on Thursday at Philsports Arena.
Despite playing a no-bearing game, the also-ran HD Spikers made sure to end their campaign on a high, sending the Lady Troopers to their 21st straight defeat.
Troncoso led the charge with 16 points. Molina chipped in 15 points built on 12 attacks, two aces, and a block, while Daquis added 13 markers, including a game-high four blocks, on top of 12 digs.
Cignal, which missed the semifinals after making it to the post-elimination thrice last year including a Reinforced Conference Finals appearance, finished with a 3-5 record in sixth place.
“I’m happy and still very thankful to Lord because we’ve been through a lot this conference. But in our last game we won in straight sets, it feels good,” said Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos in Filipino. “This will be an added inspiration for us heading to the Invitationals.”
Army pushed Cignal to a tight first-set encounter, which led to four deuces. But Royse Tubino’s attack was short before Rose Doria’s attack ended the first with a kill that set the pace for the HD Spikers in taking full control of the last two sets.
The Lady Troopers suffered their second straight winless conference as they lost all their eight matches, losing 21 consecutive dating back to the Invitationals last year.
Tubino was the lone bright spot for Army with 14 points and eight receptions.