Cignal begins tough title defense in ‘bigger, more exciting’ Spikers Turf

Representatives of the participating teams in the upcoming 2024 Spikers’ Turf. –SPIKERS TURF PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion Cignal braces for tougher title defense as it battles seven other teams, including three newcomers, in a bigger Spikers’ Turf 2024 season, which fires off with the Open Conference on March 13 at the Paco Arena.

Cignal lost several key members of its championship team including Korean Volleyball League import Marck Espejo, Ysay Marasigan, Chumason Njigha, and Manuel Sumanguid, who transferred to new Rebisco team Criss Cross. 

Despite the departure of its core from last year’s 15-0 sweep of the Open Conference, the HD Spikers coach Dexter Clamor signed Taiwan’s Top Volleyball League star Bryan Bagunas, who is expected to arrive in April, as well as Madz Gampong, libero Vince Lorenzo, middle blockers Ron Rosales, Nas Gwaza and Giles Torres, and setter Kris Silang.

READ: Marck Espejo banners Ateneo-laden Criss Cross in Spikers’ Turf

Clamor is aware of the target on their backs but he remains optimistic of his squad’s chances with holdovers JP Bugaoan, Jau Umandal and Wendel Miguel, setter EJ Casaña, Lloyd Josafat, Alfred Valbuena, and Vince Abrot leading the way.

“We have a different lineup with new sets of players, but what’s good about this team is that we’ve already won a championship from our previous tournament,” said the Cignal coach in the league’s inaugural press conference at Discovery Suites Ortigas on Friday.

“So we got a morale boost from the coaches to the players. But we’re excited for this Spikers Turf and we’re preparing hard so that we can give our best during the tournament.”

Cignal missed the chance to sweep the Invitational Conference after losing to Sta. Elena-National University in the final but the HD Spikers kicked off their road to redemption with a title run in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League. 

READ: NU-Sta Elena stuns seasoned Cignal to win Spikers’ Turf title

“There’s going to be a lot of games and new teams we don’t know yet, so we’re mentally preparing for what we’re going to do this tournament,”said Umandal, who won his first MVP last year with the defunct Cotabato Spikers.

The Criss Cross King Crunchers, want to establish themselves in the league first instead of dealing with the high expectations under coach Tai Bundit and the Rebisco management, which has been dominating the PVL with seven-time champion Creamline and last season’s finalist Choco Mucho.

“We’re not thinking about expectations. We’re focusing on our training under the program of coach Tai and how we can instill the system,” said Marasigan.

“There’s no big expectations for us as a team, we just want to go out and play happy.”

Also targetting Cignal’s throne are Spikers’ Turf mainstays D’Navigators, PGJC-Navy, Philippine Air Force, Savouge Aesthetics, and VNS Nasty as well as newcomers Maverick and RichMarc Sports.

“Actually, I respect all the coaches, they are good. Lahat ng coaches magagaling, lahat ng players din magagaling yan. But then, they’re humans and we’re humans, they got mistakes and we got mistakes of course, we just have to be careful because everyone is good,” said Savouge coach Sammy Acaylar.

“Everyone’s going to face challenges, it’s just a matter of who wants to win more,” added Navy coach George Pascua.

Bigger, more exciting

Coaches for the teams in the Spikers Turf Open Conference. –SPIKERS TURF PHOTO

Nine teams will clash in a single-round elimination format with the top four advancing to the semifinals for another round-robin. The two survivors of the semis will clash in a best-of-three finals series.

Tournament Director Mozzy Ravena and Spikers’ Turf president Alyssa Valdez are elated with the continuous rise of Philippine men’s volleyball and they hope the sport will continue to reach greater heights with the help of the organizing Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. 

“It’s going to be a bigger and more exciting men’s tournament. To many of us here, it was just a dream before. Pangarap lang talaga dahil as much as we appreciate the women’s game na tumaas like yung popularity,” said Ravena.

“That is the vision that we’ve always had years and years ago. Internationally, alam niyo naman ang men’s game is really popular, so it’s about time na tayo rin sumunod na.”

The games, scheduled every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, will be held not only at Paco Arena but also at Philsports Arena in Pasig, Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, and Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

“One thing that’s different this year is very solid yung mga teams – with definitely quality games. Hopefully, yan din ang maging reason ng fans bakit sila manunuod, susuportahan, at maa-appreciate ang men’s volleyball,” added Valdez, who is a three-time PVL MVP of Creamline.

Spikers’ Turf matches will be broadcast live on One Sports and One Sports+ with streaming available on the Pilipinas Live App.