Cignal HD Spikers in the PVL Reinforced Conference game against Petro Gazz Angels. –PVL PHOTO
Cignal executed a near perfect game to continue its dominance of Pool B in the PVL Reinforced Conference on Thursday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The HD Spikers committed only six errors, the pro league’s lowest mishaps in a game and only a single error in the opening frame, in its fourth consecutive win, a 25-19, 25-19, 25-22 sweep of slumping Petro Gazz.
This is also the HD Spikers’ best start in two years since the Invitational Conference in 2022 to secure their places among the top three teams when the second round comes.
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“I am so happy because [the HD Spikers] gave all their effort in our three-day preparation. Good thing that our game plan showed,” coach Shaq delos Santos said in Filipino. “Hopefully, this continues for us.”
“This is still not enough to say that we are already okay because the games are getting tougher so we still need to prepare more,” he added.
MJ Perez, Cignal’s Venezuelan import, carried the offensive load with 20 points on 16 attacks, three blocks and an ace and was the only HD Spiker to post twin digits.
“We all worked together as a team. Everything went well because we kept our focus. This win, we really worked for it. We were very focused on our trainings and it showed today,” Perez said as Cignal improved to a 4-0 record.
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Brooke van Sickle’s 28-point performance went down the drain as defending champion Petro Gazz slid down to a 1-3 card following its third consecutive loss.
Van Sickle’s performance featured 25 kills, three blocks and an ace apart from 10 excellent receptions while the Angel’s Cuban reinforcement Wilma Salas only had 14 points from 12 attacks, three blocks and an ace.
Cignal exacted revenge on its 2022 Reinforced Conference Finals rival which Delos Santos said was a motivation for the team to perform well.
“We really wanted to get back at them but also bounce back in this conference so we really need to perform well and properly,” Delos Santos said. “As much as possible we will work for everything that we can do until the end.”
Petro Gazz repeatedly tried to extend the match as Van Sickle tied the game with an attack of the block, 13-all, and Salas followed up to give the lead to the Angels.
No one gave an inch until a momentum-changing service error by Van Sickle for a 23-22 Cignal lead and Perez hammering home the last two nails in the coffin.
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Cignal will try to end the first round with a sweep against another undefeated squad, as of posting, in Akari.