The Cignal HD Spikers may have missed the chance to make history in the eliminations of the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, but they refuse to let the disappointment veer them away from their main goal of reclaiming the Open Conference crown.
The team was on track to become the first in league history to sweep all of its matches in the elimination round, but the National University-Archipelago Builders put up a fight and took a set off the HD Spikers, spoiling their chance for a historic sweep. Despite the win in the final match of the eliminations, the frustration was evident on the team’s face as they missed out on a rare opportunity.
However, Marck Espejo and his teammates did not let the disappointment get to them. They immediately talked about the missed chance and agreed to move on and focus on their ultimate goal of winning the conference.
"When we were in the dugout, we talked about it and we thought maybe it was a wake-up call that it's better to lose a set in the eliminations rather than losing like that in the semifinals because it's difficult to recover when games are back-to-back, and our main goal is to be the champion of this conference," shared Espejo.
Their determination to bounce back was evident in their first match of the semifinals against Imus-Ivy Tuason Photography. Despite some initial struggles, the HD Spikers were able to sweep Imus in three sets, with Espejo leading the way with 19 points and four huge blocks.
"We're happy with the win but in the first and second sets, it's not that we relaxed but we were surprised by Imus' moves, we were rattled because they were receiving well and we couldn't stop their combinations," Espejo said.
"We didn't really change anything. Maybe we just had a slight advantage in break points, and Imus probably lost their rhythm a bit. On our part, we were able to continue our momentum and that's why we were able to pull away in the score."
The HD Spikers’ focus and determination will be put to the test as they face tough opponents in the round-robin playoffs. But with their eyes firmly set on the prize, they are poised to make a strong run and reclaim the Open Conference crown.
