CIGNAL was left with the PVL’s smallest roster midway through the All-Filipino Conference after a string of depatures rocked the squad, including shock exits from Riri Meneses and Ces Molina.
Despite being undermanned, the HD Spikers still crossed the finish line in prelims play as the 3-seed with just 12 players from a maximum of 20.
READ: Cignal locks up third seed in PVL AFC after sweeping Akari
With spikers Vanie Gandler and rookie Ishie Lalongisip stepping-up on offense, Jackie Acuna and Rose Doria-Aquino’s improving as net defenders and a sweeping one-two punch on the floor with Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Buding Duremdes have all worked wonders in Cignal’s eight-win run so far.
The numbers game might not necessarily be in their favor but Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos still sees so much upside in working with just 12 players.
Among key reasons, despite still having disadvantages, include having more laser-focused players and more straightfoward training sessions.
“Yung nakikita kong advantage yung commitment ng players. Kahit 12 lang kami, nama-maximize namin yung skills ng bawat isa,” said delos Santos.
“Mabilis lang yung training kasi konti lang yung ite-train mo but syempre mas marami rin mga disadvantages pero mas kinocover namin sya kung saan kami mas may advantage.”
Vanie says teamwork makes the dream work
Now the HD Spikers’ leading scorer, nothing about their successful finish to prelims play came as a surprise to Vanie Gandler as the scoring load — heavy as it has been — hasn’t been that much of a burden.
“I didn’t really get surprised with the performance of the team kasi I trust everyone in the team,” said Gandler.
“Even before that eveything happened, they’ve been stepping up naman always. They’ve been contributing every practice, every game so I think our trust in them is always there and it’s still there and we knew kayang kaya pa.
“It’s kind of hard on our team because we’re only 12 and it’s pressuring too that we can’t have an off game. That’s why I say it’s really team work, when one person is off everyone else helps that person.”
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