MANILA, Philippines, March 7 ------ The Cignal HD Spikers and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers inched closer to the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference after picking up dominant wins in the play-in tournament at the PhilSports Arena. Coming off a surprise loss to the Galeries Towers Highrisers in the qualifying round, Cignal vented its ire on the Capital1 Solar Spikers with a 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15 victory in Pool A to move within a win of advancing to the quarterfinals.
Vanie Gandler showed the way for Cignal with a game-high 21 points off 20 attacks and 1 block, while Dawn Macandili-Catindig recorded 18 excellent digs and 7 excellent receptions en route to the Player of the Game award. Rose Doria-Aquino backstopped Gandler with 18 points, while Gel Cayuna also made her presence felt with 20 excellent sets as the third-ranked HD Spikers successfully redeemed themselves following the stunning upset to the Highrisers that relegated them to the play-in tournament.
On the other side, Leila Cruz and Trisha Genesis paced Capital1 in the loss with 12 points apiece. Meanwhile, Chery Tiggo leaned on the trio of Cess Robles, Ara Galang, and Shaya Adorador for a 25-22, 26-24, 25-12 sweep of the Nxled Chameleons in Pool B action. Robles and Galang scored 15 points each, with the former tallying an all-around line with 9 excellent receptions and 7 excellent digs. Adorador, for her part, earned the Player of the Game award after putting together 14 points and 11 excellent digs.
For Nxled, EJ Laure dropped a team-best 15 points built on 13 attacks and 2 aces, while Chiara Permentilla had 12 points and 11 excellent receptions. After emerging victorious in the opening day of the play-in tournament, Cignal and Chery Tiggo now look to punch their tickets to the quarterfinals when they go up against the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles and the Farm Fresh Foxies, respectively, on Tuesday, March 11.
Capital1 and Nxled, meanwhile, will need Cignal and Chery Tiggo to lose those matches on Tuesday to keep their playoff hopes alive in the final day of the play-in tournament on Thursday, March 13.
Source: rappler.com
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