Cignal’s Ishie Lalongisip, left, scores late in the third set against Creamline in the PVL on Tour.–PVL PHOTO
There certainly was a statement delivered—loud and clear—late Tuesday night when Cignal hammered grand slam champion Creamline to submission in a PVL On Tour preseason game at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The HD Spikers beat the Cool Smashers for the first time in over three years, with a 25-22, 25-18, 28-26 score line saying how ready Cignal is even if Alas Pilipinas mainstay Vanie Gandler sat this one out.
“We’re so happy,” coach Shaq Delos Santos said in Filipino after his charges rose to 3-0 in Pool B play, even as the league announced a visit to Candon City in Ilocos Sur where reigning All-Filipino champion Petro Gazz will shoot to win a third straight game in as many years at Candon Arena on July 29.
“We didn’t expect to win in straight sets, honestly,” Delos Santos went on. “But everyone pushed to make it happen. There were still lapses, but I am proud of how this team bounced back.”
Prized acquisition
Delos Santos was referring to a tense moment late in the third set where the HD Spikers blew three match points, only for Ishie Lalongisip to come to the rescue and save the straight sets domination. Lalongisip went on to finish with 15 points.
Prized off-season acquisition Erika Santos had 18 points and is now averaging 14.3 points for the HD Spikers, who beat the Cool Smashers for the first time since the 2022 Reinforced Conference semifinals.
The Candon stop of the On Tour will have the Angels battling crowd-darling Choco Mucho, with Petro Gazz putting its unbeaten run in the bustling Ilocos Sur city on the line against a Flying Titans squad tipped to crowd the favorites in the tournament proper.
Petro Gazz posted wins over Nxled in October 2023 and in November last year over Farm Fresh, and with Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips, who are with the Alas team, the Angels are listed as the slight underdogs against the Flying Titans on July 29.
Before going to Candon, however, Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho will play Farm Fresh and surprising PLDT in Iligan City next weekend.
Also kicking off the July 29 twinbill at 4 p.m. is a showdown between Chery Tiggo and Capital1, which is still without No. 1 pick Bella Belen, who is also with Alas.
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