CIGNAL BOOST: HD Spikers survive Thunderbelles, score 2nd win

MJ Perez put on another solid showing, exploding for 30 points as Cignal warded off a hard-fighting ZUS Coffee side, 25-18, 29-27, 21-25, 25-22, to grab the solo lead in Pool B in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference on Tuesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Despite her fiery output, the Venezuelan import, who fired 22 points against Choco Mucho last Thursday, emphasized the need for the team to play more consistently, especially in light of their uneven performance against the Thunderbelles compared to their dominating victory over the Flying Titans, whom they defeated in three sets.

“We made some changes and we were able to turn the game to our side,” said Perez, who unloaded 26 kills and delivered three aces. “We have to keep working, especially on our consistency, we have to be consistent all throughout. That’s what was missing in our game today (yesterday).”

“Thirty points, unbelievable. That’s exactly why we brought her in. We know what she’s capable of, and even though I’m sure she isn’t satisfied with her performance, she still managed to score thirty points,” said Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos in Pilipino.

Reflecting on the Thunderbelles’ impressive showing, Delos Santos added: “We’re extremely grateful to have won the game. We know that wasn’t our best performance as a team, but the good thing is we survived. Our opponents were incredible, particularly their defense. It was tough to get the ball past them.”

Despite their inconsistency that also led to numerous errors, the HD Spikers relied on their experience and maturity to thwart the Thunderbelles, who entered the match oozing with confidence despite a recent three-set loss to the Petro Gazz Angels.

Led by Asaka Tamaru, the young team kept the match close and even had a chance to steal the second set which went into extra points. The Thunderbelles won the third set but fell short in the fourth, due to a couple of Ypril Tapia miscues and Perez’s explosiveness.

ZUS Coffee pulled within 19-20 in the fourth, but setter Gel Cayuna snapped the Thunderbelles’ rally with a rare kill, as Cignal gained a three-point cushion as Tapia made an attack error.

Chin Basas also had a mishit, allowing ZUS Coffee to stay within striking distance, but Tapia served into the net, paving the way for Perez’s fiery finish — a soft hit that countered Tamaru’s attack and a powerful blast against two defenders, ending the grueling two-hour, six-minute encounter.

Ces Molina backed Perez with a solid 16-hit output, including 10 attacks and four aces, while Jackie Acuña and Riri Meneses added 11 points each, and Basas finished with eight pointsz

The HD Spikers outperformed the Thunderbelles in attacks, 61-57, and dominated the net with 12 blocks against their rivals’ five. Cignal also capitalized on ZUS Coffee’s shaky service reception, scoring nine aces while giving up three of their own.

The HD Spikers also survived their spate of errors, which allowed the Thunderbelles to score 27 points from Cignal’s miscues, compared to their own 18.

Tamaru, who led the Thunderbelles’ strong third-set fightback, scored 23 points and received significant support from Gayle Pascual and Michelle Gamit, who poured in 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Tapia added nine pointsz Despite their efforts, the Thunderbelles lacked the finishing power needed in such closely contested matches, leading to their second straight loss in the two-pool single-round tournament.