By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Capital1 stunned a fancied Cignal squad, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21, to bolster its campaign in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City on Friday, Oct. 31.
The Solar Spikers were relentless throughout, fending off the Super Spikers’ late comeback attempts in the third set to even their win-loss record at 2-2 in Pool A.
They were enjoying a comfortable 14-9 lead before Cignal closed the gap at 16-all, but held their ground on their way to the victory.
Oleksandra Bytsenko spearheaded the assault with 22 kills to finish with 23 points for Capital1, while receiving ample support from top rookie pick Bella Belen, who chipped in 11 points built on 10 attacks.
Despite her strong showing, Belen credited the team’s collective effort for the victory.
“Hindi lang naman individual skills yung nakita sa laro; lahat talaga kami may contribution sa panalo, kahit hindi nakikita sa scores,” said Belen. “Yung system, unti-unti nang nakukuha kaya masaya din ako sa panalong ito,” she added.
Although Cignal slightly outgunned Capital1 offensively, 46 attacks to 44, the Solar Spikers capitalized on the Super Spikers’ erratic plays, converting 22 points off their opponents’ errors.
Cignal’s new import Katrin Trebhichavska was the lone bright spot for her team with 22 points, as the rest of the lineup struggled to deliver. Erika Santos and Roselyn Doria were limited to nine and eight points, respectively.
The loss dropped Cignal to a 2-3 record at the close of its first round campaign.
