By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Cignal showed resilience and came out with big plays in the crunch to shock Creamline, 25-21, 26-24, 14-25, 25-22, Thursday to solidify its hold of the lead
in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference before a huge crowd at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.
Ces Molina continued to display MVP form and paced her team with 15 points while Glaudine Troncoso and captain Rachel Anne Daquis added 11 and 10 points, respectively, to help power the HD Spikers to their fourth win in a row.
The Shaq delos Santos-mentored squad was extra sharp in the second frame, erasing a 7-point deficit before coming with another fiery run in the fourth to prevail.
Tots Carlos erupted for a match-best 21 points but it wasn’t enough to will the Cool Smashers back and prevent them from absorbing their first defeat after two straight wins.
The reigning Open Conference titlist fell in a three-way logjam at No. 2 with Army Black Mamba and PLDT.
Earlier, Chery Tiggo drew strength from the unusual sources as it clobbered Petro Gazz, 25-22, 25-14, 25-21.
Setter Alina Bicar provided the spark while Czarina Grace Carandang the firepower in propelling the Crossovers to their first victory after starting out the conference with three straight defeats.
Bicar took advantage of her first start in place of Jasmine Nabor and dished out 13 excellent sets and chipping in five hits while Carandang drilled in 11 hits that spelled the difference for Chery Tiggo.
It also kept last year’s Open Conference champion in the hunt for one of the four spots to the semifinals.
