Defending champion Cignal weathered a third-set challenge by PGJC-Navy and pounded out a 25-17, 25-16, 27-25 victory to join Air Force in the early lead in the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum late Wednesday.
After a relatively smooth start in the first two sets, the HD Spikers encountered a tougher Navy side as the defending champions needed to rely on their poise and experience to frustrate their rivals in a thrilling, extended finish.
Navy managed to stall Cignal with a John Jacob crosscourt blast, forcing a tie at 25. But Jau Umandal delivered a crucial hit and Mark Calado sealed the victory with a quick power tip.
Despite the scrambling finish, Cignal coach Dexter Clamor said: “It was a good start for us. But our goal is not just to win there.”
“Of course there are things we need to improve in our game. There were lapses, there are still things we need to work on in training,” he added.
Umandal led Cignal’s charge with 16 attacks for a 17-point output, while team captain JP Bugaoan added 10 markers.
Joeven Dela Vega scored a team-high 14 points for the Sealions, who also drew 11 points from the seasoned Greg Dolor.
Cignal, meanwhile, seeks another win against RichMarc Sports on Sunday at 6 p.m., while PGJC-Navy tries to rebound against Air Force at 4 p.m.
The Airmen had earlier drubbed the Elite Spikers, rallying from a set down with a sweep of the next three sets.
