Cignal HD Spikers receive their silver medal for the PVL Invitational COnference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Cignal came within a set close — even two points away in the fourth — from being a champion in the PVL on Thursday.
But the championship remained elusive for the HD Spikers as not even MJ Perez’s finals record-setting 42 points couldn’t stop the Creamline Cool Smashers from completing a grand slam with a 21-25, 25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13 win in the Invitational Conference on Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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“It’s sad because it feels like we’re always just a little short,” said Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos. “We also need to accept that we’re in a process, and this is part of it. Like I said earlier, and as Maria [Perez] mentioned, we really need to work hard so we can improve our performance.”
READ: PVL: Stint in Philippines helps MJ Perez to keep on going
Cignal has the most bronze medals in the league with five, but its latest was the most heartbreaking as it blew a two-set lead and even a 24-21 advantage in the fourth in the Reinforced Conference knockout game against Creamline two weeks ago.
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In their second PVL finals appearance, the HD Spikers still couldn’t nail the finishing touches against the now 10-time PVL champions.
Delos Santos stressed the importance of maturity as they only matched their runner-up finish in the 2022 Reinforced Conference when they got swept by Petro Gazz in the finals.
“The maturity. In every conference, we go through player transitions, and I think this is one of the best experiences the team has had because it’s something you can’t really teach—you just have to experience it, especially at this level,” said the Cignal coach. “I’m so happy that this team went through that, and we’ll carry this with us into the next conferences.”
READ: Creamline edges Cignal to rule Invitationals, complete PVL Grand Slam
The championship remained elusive for the squad bannered by Ces Molina, Gel Cayuna, Vanie Gandler, Ria Meneses, Jackie Acuña, and Dawn Macandili-Catindig.
Despite the heartbreak, Delos Santos was proud of his team for pushing the Cool Smashers to their limits before completing the historic grand slam.
“The championship has been so elusive for us, but the good thing is that the team really fought hard. I’m very proud of that, and I’m happy because we had a lot of great experiences and delivered a solid performance,” he said.
“We have nothing to be ashamed of because the game was a really close fight. Creamline just played incredibly well, and they’re always very consistent.”
For Delos Santos, this latest heartbreak won’t stop the HD Spikers from working hard until they finally reach the top of the PVL.
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“We always say that we’ll come back stronger. We won’t stop until we achieve our goal,” said Delos Santos. “For now, I think we deserve to rest and enjoy our silver medal, because it’s not easy to win this, and we’re really happy with it.”