CIGNAL is back in its groove and snapped its three-game skid in a five-set thriller over Army-Black Mamba, 26-24, 26-28, 25-18, 18-25, 16-14, to punch its first win in the 2022 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference semifinals on Saturday at Ynares Center Antipolo.
Cignal vs Army recap
The loss cost the Lady Troopers their title hopes as they dropped to 0-3, while the HD Spikers improve to a 1-1 win-loss card.
Ria Meneses bounced back from a single-digit outing in their last game to tally 23 points off 21 attacks and two blocks, while Ces Molina tallied another triple-double of 16 points, 16 digs and 22 receptions.
Skipper Rachel Daquis’ consecutive kills in the fifth set highlighted her 15-point outing where she led the HD Spikers’ 5-1 run to overturn a 6-8 deficit to a 11-9 lead.
With Cignal at match point, 14-11, the Lady Troopers made a comeback off the HD Spikers’ multiple errors to tie it at 14-all, but a Molina kill and a Joanne Bunag crucial attack error capped Cignal's first semis win.
“Sobrang nirerespect namin yung Army. Grabe rin yung nilaro nila. Talagang nagpapakamatay sa bola,” Cignal head coach Shaq Delos Santos said.
With one set apiece, both teams fought nip-and-tuck in the third frame with final deadlock at 17, before multiple attack errors from the Lady Troopers let Cignal cop a two-set lead, 25-18.
The Lady Troopers brought out all its ammunition in the fourth set to fire 14 attacks against Cignal’s seven and force a decider, 25-18.
Gonzaga paced the Lady Troopers in the loss with 21 points and eight receptions, while 40-year-old Bunag was a spark off the bench with 19 points and 18 digs in a losing effort.
The HD Spikers will be the first squad to take on the foreign guest team Taipei KingWhale on Monday at Mall of Asia Arena.
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