Pushed to the limit by a determined ZUS Coffee side, Cignal leaned on the power of Vanie Gandler, the playmaking brilliance of Gel Cayuna and the steady effort of Roselyn Aquino to carve out a 25-18, 25-23, 25-22 victory and strengthen its bid for a Qualifying Round spot in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the FilOil Centre on Thursday.
Coming off a stinging five-set loss to Akari last week, the Super Spikers responded by following coach Shaq Delos Santos’ pre-game instruction to play with more creativity and discipline. The adjustments paid off as Cignal combined a balanced attack with improved blocking and digging to fend off the gritty Thunderbelles.
The Super Spikers pulled away from a tight battle in the opening frame before showing poise and composure in the closing stretch of the next two sets, repeatedly turning back ZUS Coffee’s determined rallies to complete the one-hour and 26-minute victory.
While the straight-set win suggested control, the Super Spikers had to work for every point as the Thunderbelles mounted relentless challenges in the final two frames.
The victory lifted Cignal to a 5-2 record, keeping the Super Spikers in control of the race for a Qualifying Round berth, where the top four teams after the single-round eliminations will advance.
On the other hand, ZUS Coffee dropped to 1-6 after its third straight shutout defeat but remains in contention for the Play-In stage.
Trailing 10-14 in the third set, Cignal rallied behind Gandler’s powerful attacks and Cayuna’s steady orchestration to level the count at 16. After five more deadlocks, the Super Spikers finally seized the upper hand when Gandler unleashed a booming hit for a 22-21 lead.
The pressure eventually took its toll on the Thunderbelles. Chinnie Arroyo, who had kept ZUS Coffee afloat with her twisting power hits, overcooked an attack off a broken play. Cignal then foiled a Riza Nogales quick attempt to move to match point.
Nogales answered with a quick hit to keep ZUS Coffee alive, prompting Delos Santos to call time and draw up the final play. The Super Spikers executed to perfection — receiving the serve cleanly, setting up Cayuna for the first touch, and allowing her to feed Gandler, who blasted an off-the-block attack to seal the win.
Gandler once again powered the Super Spikers with a 20-point performance and added 13 excellent receptions, while Cayuna masterfully ran the offense with 13 excellent sets and chipped in four points, including a rare through-the-block hit that clinched the second set.
Aquino provided key support with 11 points, delivering several timely hits — particularly in the second set where Cignal had to scramble to secure the win.
“Coming from a loss, we really needed to work hard. We had to stay persistent and work on the things that we lacked in our previous match,” said Aquino, who also added two blocks.
She emphasized that the team effort and communication helped them overcome difficult stretches.
“This is a team effort. We communicated well on how to overcome challenges.”
Erika Santos finished with nine points for Cignal, Jacq Acuna added eight, while Ishie Lalongisip contributed five markers along with 10 excellent digs and six receptions.
For ZUS Coffee, Arroyo and Thea Gagate scored 11 points each, while Jovelyn Gonzaga added eight markers. Cess Robles and Nogales chipped in seven and six points, respectively.
Cignal will have time to fine-tune those areas as the Super Spikers take a short break before resuming their campaign against Capital1 on 14 March and Creamline on 21 March.