MJ Perez and the Signal HD Spikers take on the Galleries Tower High Risers in the PVL Reinforced Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Signal endured a suffocating defense from Galleries Tower but survived a marathon showdown 23-25, 25-22, 26-28, 25-14, 15-11 in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena on Thursday.
MJ Perez played a major role in leading the HD Spikers to their sixth win in seven games, scoring 34 points on 31 attempts and three blocks.
“We know we’re not at our full potential yet, but it’s good we won this game because it means we can still play better,” head coach Shaq delos Santos said.
Schedule: 2024 PVL Reinforcement Conference Round 2
Two more players from Signal reached double figures in scoring: Jer Cayuna with 19 points and Lili Meneses with 10 points in a stellar 31-set performance for Ses Molina. Cayuna also added eight points, along with Jackie Acuna.
“We are happy with the win but the last game was really tough. We knew Galleys is strong both in attack and defence so it really tested our patience,” Kayuna said.
“The challenge we had was figuring out how to counter them and how to win the game,” she added.
But they also thrived defensively, with Perez blunting the losing High Risers’ offense with 16 impressive receptions, Molina adding 12 impressive digs and 14 receptions and Kayuna adding 10 impressive digs.
Read: PVL: Signal bounces back from first loss with win over Farm Fresh
It didn’t matter to Galleries Tower that they had already missed out on a playoff spot thanks to a stellar 17-set performance from Rene Mabilangan, with Chuelim Sutatta scoring 19 points and Isa Jimenez scoring 18.
The Hi-Risers’ strong offensive output was made possible by a stellar floor defense exemplified by Alyssa Eloa, who recorded 26 impressive digs and 14 impressive receptions.
Stadata was no match for the Spaniard with 20 impressive digs and receptions, but it was not enough to stop Galleries Tower’s seven-game losing streak.
Chuerulim Sutatta at Galleries Tower High Risers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Both teams were looking to win until the final frame, but the HD Spikers relentlessly broke through the High Risers defense, giving Signal a 10-5 lead.
Glaze Bombita didn’t let up, but Signal stepped on the gas and Perez and Meneses made shots to make it 12-8. Dimdim Pakles scored off a block, then Roselyn Doria tried a quick shot but missed.
Malzahn blocked Molina, but Pérez got the point back with a quick hit from the back row, but Cayuna, not wanting to drag out the 2-hour, 17-minute match any longer, hit an ace after a mis-receive by Pakles.
“I think we did a really good job today. It’s part of the league. Sometimes you win easily, but sometimes you have to win. [challenged]”Next up we face underdog Nxled to close out our qualifying schedule,” Perez said.
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“And this is good for what we want in the future. It’s good how we react in situations like this and it’s good that we got a win,” she added.
