HD Spikers unplug Chargers for third straight win

February 18, 2025 | 6:41pm

Games Thursday

(PhilSports Arena)

4 p.m. - Creamline vs Galeries Tower

6:30 p.m. - Nxled vs Petro Gazz

MANILA, Philippines — Cignal closed out its preliminary round campaign on a high note after routing Akari, 25-17, 25-15, 25-21, on Tuesday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

Vanie Gandler powered her way to 15 points, while Rose Doria-Aquino and Ishie Lalongisip chipped in 12 and 10 hits, respectively, as the HD Spikers will finish the first round at No. 3 with an 8-3 record even. This if PLDT and Choco Mucho, both totting 7-3 cards, win their last games due to their highest FIVB tiebreak score.

Creamline and Petro Gazz, tied at first with 9-1 marks, will also end up in the top two.

The win also gave Cignal the needed confidence entering the playoff or qualifying round — set to start February 27 — where it will tackle the No. 10 squad.

“Ito talaga target namin, maka No. 3,” said Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos, whose charges are on a three-win streak.

For Gandler, it was a collective team effort.

“Super proud of the team even though we had a lot of challenges this year, it was really a total team effort,” she said.

The Chargers, meanwhile, will end up in the middle of the pack after stumbling to a 5-6 slate.

Delos Santos also found it important to get more than a week of preparation for the bigger battles ahead.

“Importante talaga pahinga at more time to prepare,” he said.

Cignal is hoping to hurdle their qualifying round opponent as it will catapult them straight to the best-of-three quarterfinals that it also hopes to win to advance to the four-team, single-round robin format semis.

The top two squads from that short but sweet semis will play for the crown in another best-of-three affair.