Cignal avenged its lone elimination-round loss to Savouge with a commanding straight-set win, 25-21, 25-21, 25-20, to kick off the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference round-robin semifinals on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The HD Spikers had previously suffered a shocking five-set defeat to the Spin Doctors, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19, 23-25, 13-15, last October 25.
However, they exacted their long-awaited revenge after more than a month, opening the semifinals with a 1-0 record to join Criss Cross for the early lead.
“Syempre nagpapasalamat ako na nanalo kami, nagpapasalamat ako sa players na nakikinig, nagco-contribute on and off the court. Medyo kailangan lang ng maturity ng iba kasi nawawalan ng sense of urgency, nagiging complacent,” said Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor.
Unlike their earlier encounter, Clamor relied on a tight rotation for the semifinals opener, led by Louie Ramirez, who delivered a stellar 17-point performance—all on attacks.
Rookie JM Ronquillo added 14 points, while Wendel Miguel and team captain JP Bugaoan contributed eight and six points, respectively. Miguel also made his presence felt on defense with seven excellent receptions and five excellent digs.
Setter Owa Retamar played a pivotal role in orchestrating Cignal’s offense, dishing out 22 excellent sets in the HD Spikers’ eighth consecutive victory in the tournament organized by Sports Vision and supported by ArenaPlus, Mikasa, and Alpha Insurance & Surety Company.
Cignal will next face FEU-DN Steel on Friday at 4:00 p.m. in a bid to solidify their standing in the round-robin semifinals.
Savouge, on the other hand, fell to a 0-1 record, tied with the Ultras.
Norwel Sanama, who appeared to suffer an injury in the final play, led the Spin Doctors with 11 points, while John Diwa and Louis Gamban chipped in eight and seven points, respectively.
Savouge aims to bounce back against Japanese team KondohGumi Hyogo on Friday at 6:00 p.m. at the same venue.
