BARELY three days after an exhilarating showdown with Criss Cross, Cignal faces yet another formidable opponent in its quest for a sixth consecutive victory, taking on the D’Navigators in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
However, the HD Spikers will be without their star player as Bryan Bagunas, who steered Cignal to a five-set victory over Cross Cross Sunday night, had to honor a prior commitment to participate in an All-Star game scheduled for April 20 in Taiwan.
Despite Bagunas’ absence, Cignal head coach Dexter Clamor remains optimistic about the team’s chances against the D’Navigators in their 6 p.m. clash. With Jau Umandal expected to lead the charge, Clamor believes in the team’s resolve as demonstrated when Umandal cranked up his game in Bagunas’ absence during their previous match against the King Crunchers.
Umandal delivered a solid 20-point performance to complement Bagunas’ game-high 27-point showing.
Clamor also expressed gratitude towards his players for their adaptability and cohesion in maintaining the team’s system, regardless of individual absences.
“Mataas ang morale ng team, pero what’s good during the fourth set na nawala si Bryan, binalik ulit namin sa dati naming rotation,” said Clamor, referring to the stretch when the rest of the HD Spikers had to stepped up after Bagunas cramped out.
“Pasalamat ako sa players ko na hindi naman nalito, hindi nahirapan. Nabalik nila ‘yung sistema na meron kami dati na nakakalaban pa rin kami with or without Bryan,” added Clamor, who, aside from Umandal, will again rely on the likes of Wendel Miguel, JP Bugaoan, Mark Calado, Nastin Gwaza and Lloyd Josafat.
The D’Navigators, on the other hand, are ready and eager to bounce back after their recent defeat to the King Crunchers, which halted their four-game run in the league organized by Sports Vision.
Meanwhile, Savouge Aesthetics guns for its second straight win after dropping its first three matches as it collides with also-ran RichMarc Sports 3B at 4 p.m.
Led by standout performances from Sherwin Caritativo and team captain Lorenz Senoron, Savouge Aesthetics aims to extend its momentum against the Bonjomar Castel-led Elite Spikers.
