The Cignal HD Spikers open August in remarkable fashion as they sweep the Petro Gazz Angels, which came along with a few milestones.
With a sweep over the Petro Gazz Angels on Thursday, the Cignal HD Spikers solidified their grasp on Pool B of the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference. With one Pool B game day left, the HD Spikers now hold a commanding 4-0 record, being on pace to end the round unbeaten.
In fact, the squad actually matches their best start since 2022, dating back to the Open and Reinforced Conferences.
This time, however, their fiery start is accompanied by a new milestone.
In a 98-minute contest at the Philsports Arena, the HD Spikers would only commit six unforced errors, the cleanest PVL showing since 2018. The Creamline Cool Smashers previously held this record, limiting themselves to only seven errors against Adamson in the 2018 Open Conference.
But more than the milestone, this is the fruit of Cignal’s labor according to mentor Shaq delos Santos.
“Isa sa mga goal namin, actually every training, kasi kailangan maging quality talaga ‘yung maging performance. Sabi ko talaga sakanila nung past few days, di kailangan humaba ‘yung training ng sobra, dahil lang sa repetition ng errors natin. “So ang good thing, na-execute namin, na-apply namin in today’s game.” he said post-game.
Naturally, it’s now a matter of maintaining their vaunted form today. After all, it’s not everyday that a team can keep it this tight in a contest. Delos Santos himself acknowledged this, noting how “talagang first set pa lang, may six errors na ata kami sa service pa lang.”
“So ngayon, sobrang happy and proud sa buong team kasi grabe ‘yung mindset and focus namin. Siguro mas titriplehin namin sa training, and then yung usap din namin. Hopefully ma-maintain namin kasi hindi siya madali,” he added.
On the 4-0 start
As mentioned, today’s game matches Cignal’s best start in two years. More than being a morale boost, Delos Santos noted how this speaks volumes about the team’s character.
“‘Yun nga, every game, nagkakaroon kami ng magandang performance. Siguro nag-struggle but ang good thing, ngayon, ngayong conference. Alam mo yun, nag-struggle kami before pero nagtutuloy-tuloy. But right now, nag-struggle pero nakaka-recover,” Delos Santos told The GAME.
The mentor also sang praises with his current roster, starting with MJ Perez who’s brought in invaluable leadership and offense to the team. Besides “Amiga’s” impact, the veteran mentor didn’t fail to mention his locals, who have been encouraged to complement the Venezuelan.
“Nagiging kahit pa paano naba-balance namin slowly. Hindi pa siya enough pero gusto namin i-workout pa. And then, additional din ‘yung Abil sa amin. And then, yung leadership din ng team captain namin, si Ces. Kasi ang ganda lang din ang pag-handle,” he said.
Following their fiery start, the Cignal HD Spikers will undoubtedly be a marked team moving forward. Now, it’s a matter of staying level headed and hungry throughout the conference, alongside the constant need to improve.
“Yung nga, yung siguro yung alignment din ng team. Talagang tinatrabaho pa namin. Hindi siya smooth. So, pero nakikita namin na nagkaroon ng malaking impact yung changes na papunta sa maganda,” Delos Santos said.
Banner Image courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.
Related Stories:
Welcome Back Amiga! MJ Perez Relishes Philippine Volleyball Comeback After 5 Years
After Betting On Herself, Judith Abil Begins Her Next Chapter For Cignal With A Twist
‘You Have A Big Desire’: Capital1 Import Marina Tushova’s Early Assessment On Philippine Volleyball