An all-around team effort propelled the Cignal HD Spikers to an upset win over reigning PVL Open Conference champions Chery Tiggo Crossovers in four sets, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-18, in their opening match on Wednesday at the Paco Arena.
Ces Molina had an impressive debut for Cignal with 16 points while team captain Rachel Anne Daquis contributed 14 points in the big win for the club helmed by Shaq delos Santos.
The new recruits of the HD Spikers also scored good touches with Angeli Araneta notching 12 points and Ria Meneses adding 11 markers.
The laudable teamwork displayed by Cignal was evident in the first set after successful attack plays and capitalizing on Chery Tiggo's errors down the stretch.
The HD Spikers held a seven-point lead twice in the second set, but the Crossovers flashed their championship poise in the next possessions as recent foreign league campaigners Dindin Manabat and Mylene Paat got their attacking groove to equalize the set score.
In the third set, Chery Tiggo controlled the lead for most of the frame but their errors and some timely hits from Daquis and Gel Cayuna gave Cignal the upper hand.
The fourth set was dominated by the HD Spikers with their productive attack plays and errors from the weary Crossovers.
"The faith that we have on ourselves, starting from the training, paid off today in our win," said Daquis in the post-game interview.
Cignal tied the debuting F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in the winning column of the 2022 PVL Open Conference Pool A.
