Cignal turns back PLDT Home in 5-set thriller

MANILA, Philippines -- Cignal HD TV turned back PLDT Home Ultera in a gripping 25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 11-25, 15-8 victory Sunday to clinch the first finals berth in the Spikers' Turf Season 1-Reinforced Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

Lorenzo Capate, Jr. outduelled Mark Gil Alfafara in a showdown between two of the league's most powerful spikers by taking charge in the fifth and final set that clinched the HD Spikers a spot in  the best-of-three championship round.

Capate was actually outscored by Alfafara, 26-28, but the former came through with the biggest hits in the end that sealed it for Cignal, which came into the semis needing just a win after finishing as the No. 2 seed with a 4-1 (win-loss) record as against the third-seeded PLDT (3-2).

Cignal will thus play the winner of the other semis match pitting No. 1 Air Force against No. 4 Navy at press time.

"We played tougher and we were more aggressive in the fifth set," said Cignal coach Michael Carino.

Herschel Ramos, Edmar Bonono and Alexis Faytaren provided the needed scoring punch by scattering 12, 11 and 10 hits, respectively.

Alfafara, for his part, got support from Ron Jay Galang, Henry James Peca-A and former UAAP MVP Peter Torres, who chipped in 17, 12 and 11.

In the end, it boiled down to who between Capate and Alfafara plays better in the final set.

"He played big for us, he carried us through," said Carino referring to Capate.