The Cignal HD Spikers rallied back from a set down to defeat the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 17-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-14, and clinch the fourth and last semifinal berth in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Tuesday.
Armed with superior points over the Flying Titans in case of a tie for No. 4, the HD Spikers needed just three sets to advance, although the Flying Titans’ hot start sparked hopes for a big surge by one of the league’s crowd favorites seeking to make it to the Final Four via the backdoor.
“We really felt the pressure in the first set. It’s a wake-up call for us,” said Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos in Filipino. “But we pushed them (HD Spikers), reminding them that we shouldn’t blow this chance and just do what we have been doing in training, keep the (winning) mindset, and use our experience, and not to be complacent.”
The HD Spikers did put their act together in time, battling the Flying Titans to a back-and-forth duel in the second frame before surging ahead at 20-17 on a Tai Bierria kill.
Cignal stayed three points clear at 22-19 on a Fatima General save before dropping on Choco Mucho’s court, but import Odina Aliyeva, back in the roster after recovering from COVID-19-like symptoms, fired back-to-back kills to save two set points for the Flying Titans.
Maddie Madayag, however, served well in the ensuing play, enabling the HD Spikers to draw level and move within a set, thus accomplishing their mission.
Cignal kept the momentum of that crucial win while Choco Mucho struggled to try to regroup as the HD Spikers wrested control early in the third, 12-6, and virtually put a lock on the last semis berth when Choco Mucho’s top local scorer Kat Tolentino sustained a knee injury and limped out of the court.
Des Cheng followed Tolentino to the bench minutes later on a finger injury, and the HD Spikers stepped up their attack from all angles on their way to building a 13-6 bulge on a Ria Meneses point off a joust.
The Flying Titans did rally by stringing five straight points to pull within two, but a Deanna Wong service miscue and a Cignal ace put the HD Spikers back in control to claim the set and the coveted semifinal slot.
“It’s super special, considering how we worked hard for this,” said Cignal import Tai Bierria, who rattled off 18 points, laced with four kill blocks, while Ces Molina backed her up with a superb 13-point showing. Roselyn Doria finished with nine points, while Meneses flourished in the middle and added eight points.
Cheng top scored for Choco Mucho with 15 points, while Tolentino finished with nine points, and Aliyeva ended up with eight markers, the same output put in by Isa Molde.
