Cignal rolls to PVL semis with dominant ouster of Choco Mucho

MANILA, Philippines – The Cignal HD Spikers barged into the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference with a statement elimination of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 25-15, 25-21, 25-21, at the PhilSports Arena on Tuesday, July 18.

With the win, the retooled HD Spikers ended the elimination round with a 4-1 record, following the F2 Cargo Movers into the semifinals as Pool B’s representatives. The Flying Titans, meanwhile, dropped to the classification phase with a 3-2 slate and will go no higher than seventh place.

Longtime teammates Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis led the balanced attack with 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Ces Molina and Roselyn Doria each added 10 points.

Following a pivotal second-set denial of a huge Choco Mucho comeback from down 0-8, Cignal remained in control of the game with a 6-2 start in the third before maintaining a 15-14 lead midway through the frame.

The beginning of the end materialized soon for the listless Titans as the HD Spikers rolled to a 19-15 lead off a Chin Basas-led 4-0 surge.

Although Choco Mucho got within one, 18-19, off a Sisi Rondina block, that was as near as it could go as Cignal rallied back with another 4-0 run, ending with back-to-back attack errors from the Flying Titans for a 23-18 separation which they never recovered from.

“Of course, I’m very blessed and happy. My team is really a joy to watch. Everything we scouted and trained for materialized in the game,” said Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos in Filipino.

“We struggled in training, but my wish was just to apply what we learned in this game.”

Rondina, despite her best efforts, was held to a conference-low 14 points on an 11-of-40 attack clip. No other Choco Mucho player breached double-digit scoring.

With the loss, the Flying Titans extended their streak of PVL podium absences dating back to their inception in 2019. – Rappler.com