Cignal HD Spikers’ Vanie Gandler in the PNVF Champions League. –PNVF PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Cignal swept its PNVF Champions League elimination assignments after a marathon matchup against College of St. Benilde, 18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 15-13, at Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday.
The HD Spikers will move on to the semifinals on a scorching 4-0 winning run as they await their opponents in the next roybnd, which starts on Friday.
“I am very thankful because we survived especially in our last game,” coach Shaq delos Santos said after Cignal survived a gritty stand by Benilde amid a grueling game schedule.
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“To be honest, our four-day schedule was very tiring. It was grueling, but I feel proud of the team because they fought until the end and we got the game and the solo top spot,” he added.
Delos Santos saw what his HD Spikers are capable of when faced with a tough opponent like Benilde, which sank to a 1-2 record with still a game left to play against Petro Gazz on Thursday.
“This is a good sign for us because we wanted to be here, where we are. We are much more inspired now going into our next journey like the semifinals,” he went on.
READ: Vanie Gandler picks up where she left off, leads Cignal win
The combination of Ces Molina and Vanie Gandler was crucial for Cignal’s elimination sweep. Molina contributed 19 points on 15 attacks while Gandler finished with 12 points mostly on kills.
“We need to work harder, most likely we will be facing [Benilde] once again, but right now we need to enjoy our win and think of the good things that happened,” Delos Santos said. “Our mistakes here will also be a learned lesson and we need to be all out especially in the semifinals.”
“The team’s maturity, for us we are studying what else we can learn and this game is such a huge help because I want this to be constructive for us,” he added.