Cignal, Navy vie for last final slot

Games Tuesday:

(Paco Arena)

2:30 p.m. — VNS vs NU-Sta. Elena

5:30 p.m. — PGJC-Navy vs Cignal

Expect fireworks when defending champion Cignal and PGJC-Navy collide for the right to claim the last championship berth Tuesday in the Spikers' Turf Open Conference at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The no-tomorrow battle is set at 5:30 p.m. with the winner earning a spot in the best-of-three Finals series against surging National University-Sta. Elena.

Meanwhile, the Nationals close their round robin semifinals campaign at 2:30 p.m. against the also-ran VNS One-Alicia.

NU-Sta. Elena secured the first Finals seat after winning their second straight Final Four assignment at the expense of Navy, 25-21, 25-17, 26-24, last Saturday.

Focus is now on the Sealions-HD Spikers pairing as both squads are expected to go all out to keep their respective title bids alive.

Both teams share 1-1 win-loss semis cards.

Cignal hopes to ride the momentum of its 25-20, 26-24, 25-18, victory over the eliminated Griffins when they march back into action with the possibility of ace spiker Marck Espejo still not 100 percent healthy.

Espejo saw action just in the first set of their last outing and finished with just one point nursing an Achilles' heel injury.

"We hope Marck will be able to play on our do-or-die game," said Cignal coach Dexter Clamor.

"We just need to prepare and bring our A-game come game time," added Clamor.

With Espejo doubtful to be in his best condition, Clamor will pin his hopes on Cignal's other weapons in Louie Ramirez, JP Bugaoan, skipper Ysay Marasigan and Chumason Njigha.

But PGJC-Navy is no pushover.

The Sealions are raring to bounce back from a painful loss that snapped their five-game winning streak.

PGJC-Navy also holds an advantage in its head-to-head against the HD Spikers, as it eyes to duplicate its four-set win over Cignal in the elimination round.

Jau Umandal, Joeven dela Vega and Greg Dolor are expected to show the way for the Sealions.