Cignal finally discovered its winning ways as it repulsed Akari, 25-23, 25-20, 25-14, to end a two-game slide in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 2022 Reinforced Conference runner-up barged in the win column after outplaying the luckless Chargers, who threw away points off errors, in a slow-paced match for a 1-2 win-loss record.
Setter Angel Cayuna took control of Cignal’s offense, tallying 21 excellent sets in her club’s 40 attack points, while adding four points.
Rachel Anne Daquis scored 11 points while Rose Doria and Ces Molina had nine and eight markers, respectively, for the HD Spikers.
Smelling blood after taking the first two sets, Cignal pummeled the demoralized Akari with 13-3 barrage capped by a Chin Basas crosscourt hit for a huge 21-10 lead.
An error by Trisha Genesis put the HD Spikers at match point. A miscue by Gen Casugod in the next play saved the Changers a point but Ezra Madrigal threw it all away after sending her serve long.
The HD Spikers trailed early in the second frame before catching up midway in the game as the Chargers shot themselves on the foot with costly errors including a four-touch infringement that to end the set.
Akari gave Cignal a pretty good scare late in the opening set after coming back from a 19-23 deficit with four straight points to tie the frame.
Doria stopped the Chargers’ run with a block on Dindin Santiago-Manabat before Glaudine Troncoso sealed the set for the HD Spikers with a hit.
The Chargers, who played without spiker Jho Maraguinot and libero Rachel Jorvina, absorbed their third loss in as many games – losing all their matches in straight sets.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat finished with 11 points, Janine Marciano had seven while Chiara Permentilla got five for Akari, which committed 22 errors.
