After tormenting sister team, Cignal ends tourney on a high

Late Thursday, after PLDT had wrapped up a win that was huge in terms of franchise milestones but meaningless when it came to the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, coach Rald Ricafort admitted the goal for the tournament was the same as the goal they would be aiming for in the future.

“Get to nine wins,” he said after the High Speed Hitters fashioned out a 22-25, 25-14, 25-22, 27-25 victory over Creamline.

That upset got PLDT nowhere in the tournament. Winning their eighth game in 11 matches allowed the High Speed Hitters to catch the Cool Smashers with the same record. But Creamline owned the better point total—24 to 23—and advanced the semifinals while dropping PLDT to fifth place.

It wasn’t the point that got away that doomed Ricafort and the High Speed Hitters. A missed opportunity was the culprit.

And as if to remind the team what that opportunity was, Cignal came out on Saturday and wrapped up its campaign in the conference with a 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 victory over Capital1 to finish at sixth place, just a spot below its sister squad.

Fate sealed

Cignal’s 24-26, 26-24, 25-17, 28-26 victory over PLDT was the turning point for PLDT’s bid this conference. A win would have allowed PLDT to match its win goal in the All-Filipino and, as it turned out, would have sent the High Speed Hitters straight to the semifinals.

Instead, with its fate sealed even before it took the court against Creamline, PLDT was left to build some momentum heading into the next conference.

“Knowing that and going into next [conference[, using that and putting it forward, it’s gonna be really helpful in terms of adding that motivation and adding that determination knowing that we were capable of what we did tonight,” star hitter Savi Davison said.

That’s the same mindset Cignal sported against Capital1.

“We really wanted to finish our campaign with a victory,” said Roselyn Doria, who finished with 12 points. “We’ve learned so many lessons from this experience, so you can count on us in the next conference.”