Cignal eyes double titles in Spikers’ Turf Open Conference

MANILA, Philippines – The Cignal HD Spikers made known its intention right away of going for a double championship as they eye to conquer next the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.

Coach Dexter Clamor and star player Marck Espejo said the team regaining the Reinforced Conference title last Sunday, July 21, augurs well in its coming campaign in the mid-season tournament that kicks off on August 20.

The HD Spikers completed a two-game sweep of Go For Gold-Air Force to regain the crown they last won in 2017.

Overall, Cignal copped its fourth title in the Spikers Turf.

“One week rest muna kami to celebrate, mag-enjoy muna kasi grabe yung pinag-daanan namin ngayong conference,” said Clamor, who won his first ever Spikers’ Turf title after taking over the coaching chores from Oliver Almadro this year.

“After a week, trabaho na ulit, kaya sana makuha nga namin.”

(We’re just going to rest for one week to celebrate and enjoy first because we went through a lot in this conference. After a week, we’ll go back to work and hopefully, we can get the double championship.) 

But the HD Spikers have one concern going to the next conference.

Cignal could find itself missing key players to its rosters as some of them are set to play for their respective college teams in the Open Conference.

Both Jude Garcia and Manuel Sumanguid are among the players Cignal is likely to lose.

“Sana buo pa rin yung team,” said Clamor in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum on Tuesday, July 23, at the Amelie Hotel. 

“May mga players kasi kami na collegiate pa rin and ‘yung mother team nila kasali rin. So sana makausap namin yung mga coaches nila para makumpleto pa rin yung lineup namin,” added the former Perpetual Help player turned coach, who also thanked Cignal management for its consistent support to the team.

“Tingin ko basta buo pa rin kami, kaya naming mag back-to-back champions.”

(I hope that the team will still be intact. We have some players that are still in the collegiate level and their mother teams are part of the Open Conference. So I hope that we can get to talk to their coaches, so that we’ll be able to complete our lineup. As long as we’re intact, we can bag back-to-back championships.)

Espejo, however, will return for another tour of duty along with fellow national team member Rex Intal and Peter Torres for Cignal

A total of 24 teams are set to see action in the Spikers Turf. – Rappler.com