Finalist Cignal finds itself at a pivotal juncture – whether to engage its rival in a showdown or conserve energy for the challenging title series as the HD Spikers face the Criss Cross King Crunchers even as the D’Navigators seek a vital win against the PGJC-Navy Sealions on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The two key matches wrap up the semis phase of the tournament dominated by the HD Spikers, who are coming into their 12 noon showdown with the King Crunchers unbeaten in 10 games, including eight in the elims.
Cignal rallied from 1-2 set down to halt Criss Cross in their initial face-off. Despite the game holding little bearing on the HD Spikers’ standings, former ace Cignal ace and now Criss Cross top gun Marck Espejo expects nothing less than their best performance.
“Para sa Cignal, no-bearing naman na yung game pero for sure alam kong gagawin nila ang best nila at gusto pa rin nilang manalo sa amin. Kami ie-enjoy lang namin ang laro like yung ginawa namin against Navy although maraming errors, nandoon yung sense of urgency,” said Espejo, who turned in his best output in the conference with 17 points and nine excellent receptions against the Sealions.
With two shutout wins in the semis, the HD Spikers have secured a Top 2 spot, ensuring a superior set ratio even in the event of a triple tie among Cignal, Criss Cross and the D’Navigators.
Meanwhile, the D’Navigators are poised to overcome the also-ran PGJC-Navy side at 10 a.m. although the Sealions are equally determined to exit on a winning note and potentially thwart the former’s finals aspirations.
The King Crunchers and the D’Navigators tote identical 1-1 records with three points each. But in the next tiebreaker – the set ratio, the former holds the edge, 1.33-0.75.
As the D’Navigators gear up for their match against the Sealions, their hopes rest not only on securing a victory but also on Cignal repeating over Criss Cross, allowing them to advance to the finals without resorting to tiebreakers.
Francis Saura, the league’s top scorer after the elims, hopes to regain his fierce form after being limited to just seven points by the HD Spikers, while second-best scorer Joeven Dela Vega aims to lead Navy to a memorable victory in the semis.
