Cignal and Petron clash on Thursday for the remaining finals berth in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference in a showdown expected to match the thrill and drama of their first semis encounter at The Arena in San Juan City.
Match is at 7 p.m. with the HD Spikers hoping to ride the momentum of their 25-20, 10-25, 16-25, 27-25, 15-11 triumph over the defending champions Blaze Spikers last Tuesday that forge the rubber match.
Cignal’s win was doubly significant as it also ended Petron’s 12-game winning run since the elims.
Needing to beat Petron twice, Cignal tightened its defense to hold off Petron’s prolific scorers for a shot at a first finals appearance. HD Spikers’s best finish in the All-Filipino was fourth.
Rachel Daquis and Roselyn Doria are once again expected to lead Cignal’s defense after merging for seven of the team’s 14 blocks.
Daquis is also dangerous on the offensive end after bombarding the Blaze Spikers with 14 spikes.
Jovelyn Gonzaga’s experience will also factor in the HD Spikers’ bid to dethrone the Blaze Spikers and arrange a best-of-three titular showdown with F2 Logistics.
The Cargo Movers marched into the finals with a 25-19, 25-23, 17-25, 25-19 victory over Foton two days ago at the Muntinlupa Sports Center.
Cignal coach Edgar Barroga lauded his wards, saying that the pressure is now on Petron which is bidding for a three-peat.
“We came here with nothing to lose. The pressure is now on Petron,” said Barroga following their thrilling encounter that lasted near midnight.
Petron, however, will not give up its crown and is expected to bounce back strong.
Petron coach Shaq Delos Santos hopes to get the usual numbers from Sisi Rondina, Aiza Pontillas, Mika Reyes and Bernadeth Pons.
Instead of dwelling on the lost opportunity, Delos Santos said they have to move on and stay focused on their mission.
“We knew the quality of this Cignal team right from the start of the conference. They have a tall and very deep lineup,” said Delos Santos, who is looking to forge a rematch with the Cargo Movers in the finals starting this Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We have to accept that loss and move on. It’s not yet over for us. We can still bounce back and finish the job. We have another chance and we have to be ready for the challenge since this will be the biggest test for our team,” he added.
The Blaze Spikers had17 kills but they were not enough to put the HD Spikers down particularly in the crunch. (Kristel Satumbaga)