Cignal clipped Savouge with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-18 victory at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday night, showcasing superior firepower and blocking while capitalizing on the Spin Doctors’ struggles in service and execution.
The win sets up yet another championship showdown between Cignal and Criss Cross in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.
Facing a team desperate to keep its finals hopes alive, the HD Spikers showed no mercy, asserting their dominance from start to finish. While the Spin Doctors’ errors helped in the final stretch, the defending champions’ precision and firepower sealed their fate, accelerating their downfall.
With the win, Cignal arranged a third straight finals clash with Criss Cross, whom it previously defeated in both the Open Conference and Invitational Finals last year.
The King Crunchers, however, defeated the HD Spikers twice in the elims this conference.
Despite already securing a finals berth, the two rivals will meet once more before the championship series, closing out their semis assignments on Sunday at 6 p.m., also at Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Cignal booked its eighth consecutive finals appearance, matching Criss Cross’ 2-0 record in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
Meanwhile, Savouge and VNS-Laticrete were officially eliminated from the title race after suffering 0-2 records in the Final Four.
"Our team played really well. I’m thankful that the game plan we prepared over the past days paid off," said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor in Filipino.
"Savouge is no easy opponent. In the elimination round, they pushed Criss Cross to a fifth set twice. They also forced us into a fifth set in the second round, so they’re not a team you can take lightly," he added.
Steven Rotter led Cignal with 13 points, including 10 attacks and 3 blocks, while team captain JP Bugaoan and Wendel Miguel contributed nine and eight points, respectively.
Playmaker Owa Retamar delivered 21 excellent sets and five excellent digs, orchestrating the team’s offense in the one-hour, 20-minute match.
Even though Sunday’s match is non-bearing, both teams are expected to go all out with Criss Cross aiming to extend its unbeaten streak to 13 matches and Cignal seeking revenge and build momentum heading into the finals.
Mark Calado led Savouge with 11 points and 10 excellent receptions, while Giles Torres recorded 8 points (five attacks, three blocks), while Shawie Caritativo chipped in seven points, six excellent digs, and 11 receptions.
Meanwhile, Savouge will battle VNS-Laticrete for the bronze medal, following their elimination from the finals race.
The third-place showdown between the Spin Doctors and the Griffins will also take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
