Strong Cignal flattens frontrunning Cagayan

MANILA, Philippines - Cignal succeeded where three other teams had failed, coming away with quick sets and plays to beat Cagayan Valley in three and wheel back into contention in the Philippine Super Liga women’s volleyball tournament at the Philsports Arena in Pasig last night.

Venus Bernal came away with 21 kills to power the HD Spikers to a 25-18, 25-21, 25-22 victory over the erstwhile unbeaten Cagayan side and post their second win in four games.

“We analyzed our previous defeats and we realized that for us to win against them (Cagayan), we have to use a fast game because they have a strong floor defense,” said Cignal coach Sammy Acaylar. “Obviously, their game was off today. And we used that to our advance.”

Cagayan Valley dropped to 3-1.

Earlier, Petron battled back from a set down to turn back PCSO-Bingo Milyonaryo, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-16, and tie Cignal at 2-2.

Former Ateneo hitter Fille Cainglet stepped up to fire 15 kills and two service aces, finishing with 18 hits for the Blaze Spikers, who struggled in the early going before settling down in the next three to post the win.

Aiza Maizo-Pontillas also dished out an 18-point game while fellow former UST stars Maika Ortiz and Rhea Dimaculangan tallied 11 and nine hits, respectively.   

“For a coach, it’s such a relief to play with an intact lineup,” Petron coach Vilet Ponce-de Leon said. “We struggled in the first set because we were trying to find the right mix. Fortunately, the girls regained their groove and never looked back.”

Hardly a factor in the first three games, Cainglet finally showed the form that made her one of the most popular stars in a talent-laden Ateneo team in the Shakey’s V-League, coming through with vicious kills she highlighted with savvy dinks.

With the game tied at 19 in the third, Cainglet took over by scoring four of the Blaze Spikers’ last six points to wrap up the set and give the team a 2-1 cushion.